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THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


THE    STORIES 
POLLY    PEPPER    TOLD 


FIVE  LITTLE  PEPPERS  IN  THE 
LITTLE  BROWN  HOUSE 


BY 

MARGARET  SIDNEY 

AUTHOR   OF   "  FIVE    LITTLE    PEPPERS    AND   HOW    THEY   GREW, 
"  A    LITTLE   MAID   OF   CONCORD   TOWN,"   ETC.,   ETC. 


ILLUSTRATED  BY 
JESSIE  McDERMOTT  and  ETHELDRED  B.  BARRY 


BOSTON 
LOTHROP  PUBLISHING  COMPANY 


COPYRIGHT,  1899, 

BY 
LOTHROP  PUBLISHING  COMPANY. 


All  rights  reserved. 


ITOCKAl'HV    BY   C.    J.    PETERS   &   SOX,    BOSTON. 


PZ 
7 


TO 

MARGARET  MULFORD  LOTHROP 

WHO   REPRESENTS   TO  THOSE   WHO 
KNOW   HER,    BOTH   THE 

"  POLLY  "  AND  THE  "  PHRONSIE  " 

OF   THE 

FIVE  LITTLE  PEPPERS 
THIS  VOLUME  IS  DEDICATED. 


661682 


PREFATORY   NOTE. 


THE  author  has  received  from  mothers  and 
other  persons  interested  in  the  Pepper  Fam- 
ily, so  many  requests"  for  the  Stories  told  by 
Polly  Pepper  (to  which  frequent  allusion  has 
been  made  in  the  Series  called  the  "Five  Little 
Peppers'  "  Books),  that  this  initial  volume  of 
Polly's  earlier  stories  has  been  prepared  in 
obedience  to  these  requests. 

WAYSIDE,  CONCORD,  MASS. 
March,  1899. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.    THE  LITTLE  WHITE  CHICKEN 9 

II.  THE  PRINCESS  ESMERALDA'S  BALL      ...  25 

III.  THE  STORY  OF  THE  CIRCUS 43 

IV.  THE  LITTLE  TIN  SOLDIERS 61 

V.     CHRISTMAS  AT  THE  BIG  HOUSE 72 

VI.  MR.    FATHER     KANGAROO    AND    THE    FAT 

LITTLE  BIRD 86 

VII.  THE  MINCE-PIE  AND  THE  BEASTS  ....  99 

VIII.     THE  CUNNING  LITTLE  DUCK 116 

IX.     THE  OLD  TEA-KETTLE 129 

X.     THE  PINK  AND  WHITE  STICKS 146 

XI.     THE  OLD  STAGE-COACH 160 

XII.  MR.      NUTCRACKER;     THE      STORY    THAT 

WASN'T  A  STORY 176 

XIII.  MR.  NUTCRACKER 196 

XIV.  THE  RUNAWAY  PUMPKIN ,     .  214 

XV.  THE  ROBBERS  AND  THEIR  BAGS     ....  229 

XVI.     POLLY  PEPPER'S  CHICKEN-PIE 254 

XVII.  PHRONSIE  PEPPER'S  NEW  SHOES    ....  272 

XVIII.     THE  OLD  GRAY  GOOSE 295 


4  CONTENTS. 

CH.M'TFH  PAGE 

XIX.  TIIK  GREEN  U.MHRELLA       ...     =     ...  309 

XX.  THE   GREEN    UMBRELLA   AND   THE    QUEER 

LITTLE  MAN 331 

XXI.  THE  LITTLE  SNOW-HOUSE 358 

XXII.  LUCY  ANN'S  GARDEN      . 381 

XXIII.  THE  CHINA  Muc; 405 

XXIV.  UROWN  UETTY 419 

XXV.  THE  SILLY  LITTLE  BROOK      ......  437 

XXVI.  DOWN  IN  THE  ORCHARD .  451 


LIST  OF   ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PAGE 

Polly  telling  her  stories Frontispiece. 

"  Take  me,  Polly,"  implored  Phronsie 12 

"And  —  he  —  saw  —  the  —  bear" 22 

Polly  threw  her  arms  around  Ben 31 

"  In  came  the  Princess  Esmeralda  " 35 

"  The  circus  story,"  said  Polly,  "  is  about  so  many  best 

and  splendid  things  that  you  must  keep  quite  still,"  45 

"  Where's  the  Circus-man  ? "  asked  the  great  big  man   .  57 

Ben  was  mending  Mother  Pepper's  washboard      ...  63 

The  little  tin  soldiers 66 

Grandpapa  had  taken  out  all  the  papers 74 

Joel  laid  his  head  in  Polly's  lap  and  burst  out  crying      .  82 

"  I  want  my  Mamsie  !  "  cried  poor  Phronsie      ....  87 

"  What's  the  matter  down  there  ?  "  asked  Mr.  Kangaroo,  93 

The  two  pulled  out  the  kitchen  table 101 

The  mince-pie  boy  and  the  beasts 109 

"  O  Polly!  "  she  cried,  scuttling  over  to  her      ....  112 

Joel  came  racing  back 119 

The  cunning  little  duck 122 

"  Dear  me,  yes,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper 130 

"  Mind  the  house,  now,"  she  said  to  the  cat      ....  141 

5 


6  LIST    OF    ILLUSTRATIONS. 

PAC;E 
She  crept  into  Polly's  lap,  and  put  her  little  hand  up  on 

her  neck 152 

The  pink  and  white  sticks 157 

"  Take  care,  Joe,"  she  warned 161 

The  old  stage-coach 165 

So  Polly  smoothed  and  patted  his  stubby  head  in  a  way 

that  Joel  liked 179 

"  You  are  scaring  that  poor  old  man  'most  to  death," 

said  Polly 186 

Polly  began  to  parade  up  and  down  the  old  kitchen  floor,  201 

And  the  pigs  wouldn't  go  the  way  he  wanted  'em  to  .  205 
"  I  guess  I'll  tell  you  of  the  Runaway  Pumpkin,"  said 

Polly 216 

"  Pumpkin  !  say.  Pumpkin,  don't  you  hear  me  ? "  .  .  .  225 
Mrs.  Whitney  heard  the  noise,  and  ran  in  to  see  what 

the  fun  was 243 

The  robbers  and  their  bags 247 

Ben  grasped  it  tightly  under  one  arm  and  flew  home  .  255 
The  old  gray  goose  holds  a  conversation  with  the  black 

chicken 262 

"Oh!  I  am  so  hungry,  Polly  " 275 

"  Phronsie  Pepper's  new  shoes  " 228 

And  there  was  the  shoe  tumbled  right  over  her  nose  .  292 
"  You  said  so,  Polly  Pepper,"  cried  little  Dick  with  big 

eyes 2gS 

Sally  Brown  and  the  old  gray  goose 305 

"  Polly,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  "  you  needn't  tell  any  story 

just  now"  .  311 

"  Go  right  away !  my  daughter  makes  all  the  music 

I  want" 318 


LIST    OF    ILLUSTRATIONS.  / 

PAGE 

"  Look  within  ! "  screamed  the  old  woman 323 

"  Here  she  is  !  "  cried  Van,  throwing  open  the  door  of 

Jasper's  den 337 

Phronsie  smoothed  down  her  white  apron  in  satisfac- 
tion    344 

The  umbrella  runs  away  with  the  queer  little  man     .     .  353 

The  boys  bringing  home  the  meal  and  potatoes     .     .     .  368 

The  little  snow-house 373 

Lucy  Ann's  garden 391 

She  put  her  head  in  her  hands,  like  this 394 

Little  Dick  plucked  off  the  big  bit  of  wet  brown  paper 

from  his  eye 407 

The  beautiful  man  and  the  lovely  lady  on  the  china 

mug 410 

"  O  Polly,  a  hundred  ants  ! "  cried  little  Dick  with  an 

absorbed  face 424 

Brown  Betty  and  the  ants 429 

Phronsie  shook  her  yellow  head  mournfully 442 

The  birds  and  the  silly  little  brook 446 

"  'Twas  as  big  as  this  ! " 459 

The  little  white  rabbit  and  Mister  Fox 464 


THE 

STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD 

TO  THE   FIVE   LITTLE   PEPPERS. 


I. 

THE    LITTLE    WHITE    CHICKEN. 

YOU    see,"    said    Polly,  "the   little  white 
chicken  was   determined  she  would  go 
into  Susan's  playhouse." 

Phronsie  sat  in  Mamsie's  big  calico-covered 
rocking-chair.  The  last  tear  had  trailed  off  the 
round  cheek  since  Polly  had  come  home  and 
was  by  her  side,  holding  her  hand.  The 
pounded  toes  were  thrust  out  before  her,  tied 
up  in  an  old  cloth,  and  waiting  for  the  worm- 
wood which  was  steeping  on  the  fire.  Grandma 
Bascom,  protesting  that  soon  Phronsie  wouldn't 
know  that  she  had  any  toes,  sank  into  a  chair 
and  beamed  at  her.  "You  pretty  creeter,  you," 
she  cried,  her  cap-border  bobbing  heartily. 
9 


IO       STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

"  I  wish  she  wouldn't  talk,"  grunted  Joel, 
burrowing  on  the  floor,  his  head  in  Polly's  lap, 
where  her  soft  fingers  could  smooth  his  stubby 
black  hair. 

"  'Sh  !  "  said  Polly,  with  a  warning  pinch. 

"  Go  on,"  begged  Davie,  hanging  over  her 
chair,  intent  as  Phronsie  on  the  fate  of  the 
white  chicken  ;  "did  she  go  in,  Polly ;  did  she  ?" 

Phronsie  sat  still,  her  eyes  on  Polly's  face, 
her  fat  little  hands  clasped  in  her  lap,  while 
she  held  her  breath  for  the  answer. 

"Dear  me,  yes,"  cried  Polly  quickly;  "she 
stretched  her  neck  like  this,"  suiting  the  ac- 
tion to  the  word,  for  Polly  always  acted  out,  as 
much  as  she  could,  all  her  stories,  particularly 
on  emergencies  like  the  present  one,  "and 
peered  around  the  corner.  Susan  wasn't  there, 
for  she  was  up  at  the  house  sitting  on  a  stool 
and  sewing  patchwork.  But  there  was  a  black 
object  over  in  the  corner,  and  "  — 

"  Oh,  you  pretty  creeter,  you  !  "  exclaimed 
Grandma  suddenly,  at  Phronsie,  on  whom  she 
had  gazed  unceasingly,  "  so  you  did  pound  your 
toes  —  there  —  there  —  you  pretty  creeter!" 

"Ugh  —  ugh!  make  her  stop,"  howled  Joel, 
twitching  up  his  head  from  its  soft  nest.  "  Oh, 


THE    LITTLE    WHITE    CHICKEN.  II 

dear,  we  can't  hear  anything.  Stop  her, 
Polly,  do." 

"Joel,"  said  Polly,  "hush  this  minute;  just 
think  how  good  she's  been,  and  the  raisins.  O 
Joey ! " 

"  They  are  dreadful  hard,"  grumbled  Joel ;  but 
he  slipped  his  head  back  on  Polly's  lap,  wishing 
her  fingers  would  smooth  his  hair  again.  But 
they  didn't  ;  so  he  burrowed  deeper,  and  tried 
not  to  cry.  Meanwhile  Phronsie,  with  a 
troubled  expression  settling  over  her  face  at 
this  condition  of  things,  made  as  though  she 
would  slip  from  the  old  chair.  "Take  me, 
Polly,"  she  begged,  holding  out  her  arms. 

"Oh,  no,  you  mustn't,  you  pretty  creeter," 
declared  Grandma,  getting  out  of  her  chair  to 
waddle  over  to  the  scene,  her  cap-border  trem- 
bling violently,  "  you'll  hurt  your  toes.  You 
must  set  where  you  be  till  you  get  the  worm- 
wood on."  And  Davie  running  over  to  put  his 
arms  around  Phronsie  and  beg  her  to  keep  still, 
the  little  old  kitchen  soon  became  in  great 
confusion  till  it  seemed  as  if  the  white  chicken 
must  be  left  for  all  time,  peering  in  at  Susan's 
playhouse  and  the  black  object  in  the  corner. 

"  Oh,   dear   me !  "    cried    Polly  at    h^r   wit's 


12       STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

end  ;   "  now  you  see,  Joey.     Whatever  shall  I 
do?" 

"  Take  me,  Polly,"  implored  Phronsie,  lean- 
ing out  of  the  big  chair  at  the  imminent  danger 
of  falling  on  her  nose,  and  two  tears  raced  over 


"Take  me,   Polly,1'  implored  Phr 


her  round  cheeks.  At  sight  of  these,  Polly  sud- 
denly lifted  her  out  and  over  to  her  lap,  Joel  de- 
serting that  post  in  a  trice,  and  wishing  he  was 
Phronsie  so  that  he  could  cry  and  be  comforted. 


THE    LITTLE    WHITE    CHICKEN.  13 

"Dear,  dear,  dear  !"  exclaimed  Grandma  Bas- 
com  gustily,  trotting  off  to  the  tin  cup  with  the 
wormwood  steeping  on  the  stove.  "  She  must 
have  the  wormwood  on.  Whatever'll  become  of 
her  toes  if  she  don't  set  still,  I  d'no.  There, 
there,  she's  a  pretty  creeter." 

"  I  don't  want  any  on,"  said  Phronsie  from 
her  nest  in  Polly's  arms,  and  contentedly  snug- 
gling down.  "  Please  don't  let  her  put  any  on, 
Polly,"  she  whispered  up  against  her  neck. 

"  I'll  put  it  on,"  said  Polly  soothingly.  "Well, 
now,  Phronsie,"  patting  the  yellow  head,  and 
with  an  anxious  look  up  at  the  old  clock,  "you 
know  I  can't  bake  Mamsie's  birthday  cake  un- 
less you  have  that  wormwood  on  and  sit  in  her 
chair  like  a  good  girl.  And  then  think  how 
very  dreadful  it  would  be  to  have  Mamsie  come 
home  and  it  shouldn't  be  done.  Oh,  I  can't 
think  of  such  a  thing  ! "  Polly's  hand  dropped 
away  from  the  yellow  hair,  and  fell  to  her  lap, 
as  she  sat  quite  still. 

Phronsie  lifted  her  head  and  looked  at  her. 
"  I'll  have  the  wet  stuff  on,  Polly,  and  sit  in  the 
chair,"  she  said,  with  a  long  sigh  ;  "  lift  me  back, 
Polly,  do ;  then  you  can  bake  Mamsie's  cake." 

So  Phronsie  was  lifted  back  with  great  ado, 


14       STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

Polly  kissing  her  many  times,  and  telling  her 
how  glad  she  would  be  on  the  morrow  when 
Mamsie's  birthday  cake  would  be  a  beautiful 
success,  and  how  happy  Mamsie  would  be  to 
know  that  Phronsie  helped  to  bake  it  by  being 
such  a  good  girl.  And  the  little  toes  were  wet 
with  the  wormwood,  and  tied  up  in  an  old  cloth  ; 
and  Grandma  Bascom,  dropping  the  tin  cup 
which  she  was  bearing  back  to  the  stove,  with  a 
clatter  on  the  floor,  created  such  a  diversion  as 
Polly  and  the  boys  ran  to  get  cloths  and  spoons 
to  save  the  precious  wormwood  and  wipe  the 
floor  clean,  that  the  little  old  kitchen  rang  with 
the  noise,  and  it  was  some  time  before  Polly 
could  get  it  quieted  down  again. 

At  last  Polly  drew  a  long  breath.  "Well, 
now,  children,  if  you'll  be  very  still  I'll  tell  you 
the  rest  about  the  white  chicken,  while  I'm  mak- 
ing Mamsie's  cake.  And  I'll  pull  your  chair, 
Phronsie,  up  to  the  table  so  you  can  see  me." 

"  Let  me,  let  me !  "  screamed  Joel,  hopping 
up  to  lay  hasty  hands  on  the  old  calico-covered 
rocker.  "  I  want  to,  Polly  ;  let  me  pull  it  up." 

"I  want  to,"  begged  David,  just  as  nimble 
on  the  other  side. 

"  So    you  shall  ;    you   can   both  help,"  cried 


THE    LITTLE    WHITE    CHICKEN.  15 

Polly  merrily,  deep  in  thought  over  the  intrica- 
cies of  '  M irandy's  weddin'-cake  receet.' 

"Well,"  said  Grandma,  seeing  Phronsie  on 
such  a  high  road  to  recovery,  "  I'm  dretful  glad 
I  found  that  receet.  I  put  it  in  my  Bible  so's 
to  have  it  handy  to  give  John's  folks  when 
they  come  ;  they  set  great  store  by  it  to  the 
weddin'  :  and  I  must  go  home  now,  'cause  I  left 
some  meat  a-boilin'."  So  off  she  waddled, 
Joel  going  to  the  door  and  gallantly  assisting 
her  down  the  steps  and  to  the  gate,  glad  to 
make  amends.  Then  he  rushed  back. 

"  Now  for  the  white  chicken  ! "  he  cried, 
drawing  a  long  breath,  and  perching  on  the  end 
of  the  baking-table. 

"  Yes,"  said  Polly  ;  "  but  you've  got  to  have 
on  one  of  Mamsie's  old  slippers  first,  Phronsie." 

"  Oh,  ho,"  Phronsie  laughed  gleefully,  "  how 
funny ! " 

So  one  of  Mamsie's  old  cloth  slippers  was 
tied  on  to  Phronsie's  little  foot  with  a  bit  of 
string  through  the  middle,  the  children  one  and 
all  protesting  that  it  looked  like  an  old  black 
pudding-bag  ;  and  Polly  began  again,  "  Now," 
she  said  absently,  "  I'll  tell  you  about  the  little 
white  chicken  —  just  as  soon  as  I  have  —  oh, 


l6       STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

dear  me !  let  me  see  if  I  have  all  my  things 
ready."  She  wrinkled  her  brows  and  thought 
a  minute.  Joel  kicked  his  heels  impatiently 
against  the  table-side,  while  Davie  clasped  his 
hands  tight  so  as  not  to  say  anything  to  worry 
Polly. 

"Yes,  I  believe  they're  all  here,"  said  Polly, 
after  what  seemed  an  age  to  the  children. 
"Well,  there  now,  children,  I'm  ready  to  begin 
on  the  story.  Oh,  let  me  see,  all  but  the  big 
bowl ;"  and  she  ran  into  the  buttery  and  brought 
it  out,  and  began  to  mix  the  cake  with  quite  an 
important  air.  Phronsie  drew  a  long  breath  of 
delight  that  ended  in  a  happy  little  crow.  "You 
must  know  that  the  white  chicken  made  up  her 
mind  that  she  would  go  into  Susan's  playhouse, 
although  "  — 

"  You  told  that,"  interrupted  Joel,  filliping 
at  the  dish  where  the  raisins,  with  a  plentiful 
sprinkling  of  flour,  lay  ready  to  lend  their  mag- 
nificence to  Mamsie's  birthday  cake  ;  "  go  on 
where  you  left  off,  Polly." 

"You  said  she  saw  a  black  object  over  in  the 
corner,"  said  Davie,  with  big  eyes  ;  "  tell  about 
that." 

"  Oh,  yes,  so  I  did  ! "  said  Polly  ;  "  now,  Joe, 


THE    LITTLE    WHITE    CHICKEN.  I/ 

you  mustn't  touch  the  raisins.  Every  single 
one  must  go  into  Mamsie's  cake." 

Joel  drew  away  his  hand ;  but  it  was  impossi- 
ble not  to  regard  the  plate,  on  which  he  kept 
his  gaze  fastened. 

"Well,  in  crept  the  little  white  chicken,"  said 
Polly  tragically,  and  stirring  briskly  the  cake- 
mixture  with  the  long  wooden  spoon,  "hoping 
the  black  object  wouldn't  see  her.  She  had  to 
go  in  you  see,  because  just  outside  the  door, 
coming  under  the  apple-trees,  was  a  noise,  and 
it  sounded  very  much  like  a  boy  ;  and  the  little 
white  chicken  had  rather  be  scared  by  a  black 
object  in  the  corner  inside,  than  to  let  that  boy 
spy  her.  So  she  crept  in  very  softly,  and  was 
just  beginning  to  tuck  up  her  feet  and  sit  down 
behind  the  door,  when  the  black  object  stirred, 
and  over  went  the  little  white  chicken  all  in  a 
heap." 

Joel  gave  a  grunt  of  great  satisfaction,  and 
tore  his  eyes  from  the  raisin-plate. 

"What  was  it?"  gasped  Davie  fearfully,  and 
getting  nearer  to  Polly's  side.  Phronsie  kept 
her  wide  eyes  on  Polly's  face,  and  sat  quite 
still,  her  little  hands  folded  in  her  lap. 

"You  wait  and   see,"  said  Polly  gayly,  and 


18       STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

stirring  away  for  dear  life.  "Well,  over  went 
the  little  white  chicken,  and"  — 

"  You  said  that,"  interrupted  Joel ;  "do  hurry 
and  tell  the  rest." 

"Then  she  shut  her  eyes  just  like  this," 
Polly  stopped  stirring,  and  turned  to  Phronsie, 
wrinkling  up  her  face  as  much  like  a  chicken 
in  despair  as  was  possible.  "  Oh,  you  can't  think 
how  she  felt  ;  she  was  so  frightened  !  She  tried 
to  call  her  mother,  but  the  'peep — peep'  that 
always  used  to  be  so  loud  and  clear,  stuck  way 
down  in  her  throat  ;  and  then  she  knew  she 
never  in  all  this  world  could  make  her  mother 
hear  because  she  hadn't  minded  her.  And  out- 
side she  could  hear  old  Mrs.  Hen  calling  her 
brothers  and  sisters  to  come  and  get  the  worms 
she  had  just  scratched  up." 

"And  wouldn't  the  little  white  chicken  ever 
get  a  worm  ? "  broke  out  Phronsie  in  dreadful 
excitement;  "wouldn't  she,  Polly,  ever?" 

"  No  —  oh,  yes  ;  she  could  when  she  was 
good,"  said  Polly  at  sight  of  Phronsie's  face. 

"Make  her  good,"  begged  Phronsie,  unclasping 
her  hands  to  pull  Polly's  gown  ;  "  oh  do,  Polly  ! '' 

"  No,  make  her  bad,"  cried  Joel  insistently  ; 
"as  bad  as  can  be,  do,  Polly  !  " 


THE    LITTLE    WHITE    CHICKEN.  19 

"  O  Joel !  "  reproved  Polly,  stirring  away  ; 
"  whoever  would  want  that  little  white  chicken 
bad  — any  more  than  for  a  boy  to  be  naughty." 

"Well,  make  her  bad  enough  to  be  scared; 
and  have  the  awful  black  thing  be  a  bear,  and 
most  bite  her  to  death,  and  chew  her  head  off," 
cried  Joel,  feeling  delicious  thrills  at  the  dreadful 
possibilities  that  might  happen  to  the  chicken. 

"  Oh,  dear  me  !  "  cried  Polly  in  horror,  "  the 
poor  little  white  chicken  !  " 

"Don't  let  it  bite  her  much,"  said  Davie. 
"  But  do  make  it  a  bear,  Polly !  " 

"  Well,  I  will,"  said  Polly  obligingly,  "  make 
it  a  bear,  boys." 

"  And  don't  let  it  bite  her  any,"  begged  Phron- 
sie ;  and  she  put  up  her  lip,  while  the  brown 
eyes  were  imploringly  fixed  on  Polly's  face. 

Joel  squirmed  all  over  the  table-end.  "  Just 
such  a  little  bear,"  he  remonstrated.  "  Hoh ! 
he  couldn't  bite  much  ;  I'd  just  as  lieves  he'd 
bite  me,"  baring  his  brown  arm. 

"  No  —  no  —  no  !  "  protested  Phronsie,  shak- 
ing her  yellow  head  decidedly;  "I  don't  want 
him  to  bite  her  any,  poor  little  white  chicken  ; " 
and  she  looked  so  very  near  to  crying,  and 
Mamsie's  old  black  slipper  on  the  pounded  toes 


2O  STORIES    POLLY    PEPPER    TOLD. 

began  to  flap  so  dismally,  that  Polly  hastened 
to  say,  "  Oh  !  I'll  tell  you,  children,  what  I'll  do  ; 
I'll  have  Tommy  come  out  and  shoot  the  bear 
right  away." 

"  Oh,  whickety  ! "  whooped  Joel.  David 
clasped  his  hands  ecstatically.  This  was  much 
better,  —  to  have  Tommy  and  the  bear,  than  the 
bear  and  the  little  white  chicken.  Phronsie 
laughed  delightedly,  "  Make  him  come  quick, 
do,  Polly  !  "  she  screamed. 

"Hurry  up!"  called  Joel ;  "O  Phron  !  don't 
talk.  Do  hurry,  Polly  !  " 

"Well,  you  see,"  went  on  Polly,  stirring  away 
for  dear  life,  "that  when  Susan  went  into  the 
house  to  sit  on  the  stool  and  do  patchwork,  her 
brother  Tommy  thought  he  would  take  his  gun 
and  see  if  he  could  find  anything  to  shoot,  like 
rabbits,  and  "  — 

"  No —  no,"  cried  Joel  in  alarm,  twitching  her 
sleeve,  "  bears,  bears  !  " 

"  He  didn't  expect  to  see  a  bear,"  said  Polly ; 
"he  went  out  to  shoot  rabbits.  But  he  found 
the  bear  instead,  you  know,"  catching  sight  of 
Joel's  face,  which  immediately  cleared  up,  and 
he  settled  back  contentedly.  "  Well,  Tommy 
went  along  by  old  Mother  Hen  clucking  and 


THE    LITTLE    WHITE    CHICKEN.  21 

scratching,  and  all  the  rest  of  the  chickens, 
except  the  little  white  one  ;  and  just  as  he  was 
going  by  Susan's  playhouse  he  thought  he 
would  look  in  and  scare  the  dolls  with  his  big 
gun." 

"  Don't  let  him,  Polly  !  "  begged  Phronsie  in  a 
worse  fright  than  before.  "  Oh,  don't  let  him  ; 
don't  let  him  !  " 

"  Ow  !  there  ain't  any  fun.  Phron  keeps  stop- 
ping us  all  the  time,"  howled  Joel.  "  Let  him, 
Polly.  Gee  —  whiz  —  bang!  that'«s  the  way  I'd 
do,"  bringing  an  imaginary  gun  to  his  shoulder 
and  blazing  away. 

"  Well,  then  he'd  have  scared  the  bear  so  he 
couldn't  have  shot  him,"  said  little  Davie  quietly. 

"  So  he  would,  Davie,"  said  Polly  approvingly, 
and  dropping  the  spoon  to  pet  Phronsie  ;  "  if  Joel 
had  been  there,  the  bear  would  have  got  away." 

Joel,  much  discomfited  at  this,  ducked  sud- 
denly and  looked  sheepish.  "  Well,  go  on,"  he 
said. 

"  And  Tommy  didn't  scare  the  dolls,  because 
you  see  he  was  scared  himself.  The  first  thing 
he  saw  was  the  little  white  chicken  crouched 
down  like  this."  Down  went  Polly  on  the  old 
kitchen  floor,  and  made  herself  so  much  like  a 


22     '   STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

little  white  chicken  very  much  frightened,  that 
the  children  held  their  breath  to  see  her. 

"And    then  Tommy  looked    at  what  scared 


"And- He -saw -the-  Bear." 


the  little  white  chicken,"  went  on   Polly,  hop- 
ping up  and  beginning  to  stir  the  cake-mixture 
again.     "  And  —  he  —  saw  —  the —  bear  !  " 
It  is   impossible  to  describe  the  effect    this 


THE    LITTLE    WHITE    CHICKEN.  23 

statement  had  on  the  old  kitchen  and  its  oc- 
cupants ;  and  Polly,  well  pleased,  rushed  on, 
dilating  on  how  the  bear  looked,  and  how 
Tommy  looked,  and  how  the  little  white 
chicken  looked  ;  till,  in  a  pause,  the  crackling 
in  the  old  stove  proclaimed  all  things  ready 
for  the  baking  of  Mamsie's  birthday  cake,  and 
she  exclaimed,  "  Deary  me,  I  must  hurry.  Oh 
well !  Tommy  saw  the  bear  getting  ready  to 
spring,  just  like  this ;  and  he  put  up  his  gun, 
like  this,  and  it  went  bang  —  bang!  and  over 
went  Mr.  Bear  quite,  quite  dead." 

"Like  this?"  cried  Joel,  tumbling  off  from 
the  table-end  to  a  heap  in  the  middle  of  the 
old  floor;  "just  like  this,  Polly?"  sticking  up 
his  stubby  black  head  to  look  at  her. 

"  No  —  no  !  "  cried  Davie,  hurrying  to  make 
another  heap  of  himself  by  Joel's  side;  "he 
stuck  up  his  legs,  didn't  he,  Polly  ? "  and  out 
went  David's  arms  and  legs  as  stiff  as  sticks, 
as  he  lay  on  his  back  staring  at  the  ceiling. 

"  Hoh  —  hoh  !  "  laughed  Joel  in  derision  ; 
"bears  don't  tumble  down  that  way,  Dave, 
when  they're  killed  ;  do  they,  Polly  ? " 

"  Yes,  they  do  too,"  contradicted  little 
David,  not  moving  a  muscle  ;  "  don't  they, 


24       STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

Polly  ?"  while  Phronsie  tried  to  get  out  of  her 
big  chair  to  show,  too,  how  she  thought  the 
bear  would  tumble  over. 

"Oh,  no,  Phronsie  pet,  you  mustn't !"  cried 
Polly  in  alarm  ;  "  you'll  hurt  your  poor  toes. 
Well,  I  think  the  bear  looked  something  like 
both  of  you  boys.  He  didn't  stick  his  legs  up 
stiff,  but  he  was  on  his  back  like  Davie." 

"Well,  I'm  on  my  back,"  cried  Joel,  whirl- 
ing over  ;  while  David's  stiff  little  wooden  legs 
and  arms  fell  down  in  a  twinkling.  "Well, 
now  you  boys  must  get  me  the  cinnamon," 
said  Polly,  with  a  brisk  eye  on  the  old  clock. 
"  Deary  me,  I  ought  to  have  this  cake  in  the 
oven  —  it's  in  the  Provision  Room,  you  know." 

"And  then  we'll  get  something  to  eat,"' 
cried  the  two  bears,  hopping  up  to  race  off. 


THE    PRINCESS    ESMERALDA  S    BALL.  25 


II. 

THE    PRINCESS    ESMERALDA*S    BALL. 

"TT  was  a  most  beautiful  place,"  cried  Polly. 

-*-  "  Oh  !  you  can't  think,  children,  how  per- 
fectly beautiful  it  all  was  ; "  and  she  clasped  her 
hands  and  sighed. 

"Tell  us,"  they  all  begged  in  one  breath, 
crowding  around  her  chair. 

"  Well,  I  can't  till  Ben  gets  back,  because  you 
know  he  wanted  to  hear  this  story  ; "  and  Polly 
flew  out  of  her  rapture,  and  picked  up  her 
needle  again.  "  Dear  me  !"  she  exclaimed,  and 
a  wave  of  remorse  seat  the  color  flying  over  her 
cheek,  "  I  didn't  mean  to  stop  even  for  a  min- 
ute ; "  and  she  glanced  up  at  the  old  clock. 

"  Ben  never'll  come,"  grumbled  Joel,  racing 
to  the  window  with  Davie  at  his  heels;  "he's 
so  awful  slow." 

"Well,  it's  slow  work,"  said  Polly,  stitching 
away  briskly,  "to  carry  a  great  heavy  molasses 


26       STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

jug  and  a  bag  of  Indian  meal  way  up  here  from 
the  store.  Now,  if  you  two  boys  wanted  to  go 
and  meet  him,  you  could  help  ever  so  much." 

"  I  went  last  time  down  to  that  old  store," 
said  Joel,  kicking  his  toes  against  the  wall  as  he 
stared  out  of  the  window  ;  "  it's  Dave's  turn 
now,  Polly." 

"  Oh,  oh  !  "  cried  little  Davie,  "  I've  been  ever 
and  ever  so  many  more  times,  Polly  ;  truly  I 
have." 

"  And  we've  just  got  through  doing  all  our 
work,"  went  on  Joel,  ignoring  David's  remarks  ; 
"  and  we  had  such  a  lot  to  do  to-day  Polly,"  he 
added  in  an  injured  tone. 

"  You  need'nt  go  if  you  don't  want  to,"  said 
Polly,  with  a  fine  scorn  ;  "  I  said  if  you  ivanted 
to  go." 

"Well,  we  don't  want  to,"  declared  Joel 
loudly,  and  he  kicked  his  toes  triumphantly. 
Phronsie,  curled  up  in  a  ball  on  the  floor  at  Pol- 
ly's feet,  while  she  nursed  Seraphina,  stared  at 
them  gravely. 

"  I'll  go,  Polly,"  she  said  at  last,  laying  Sera- 
phina, with  a  sigh,  on  the  floor,  and  getting  up 
to  her  feet. 

"Oh,    no,    Pet!    you    can't    go,"    said    Polly 


THE    PRINCESS    ESMERALDA  S    BALL.  2"J 

quickly  ;  "  you're  too  little.  Why,  you  aren't 
bigger'n  a  mouse,  Phronsie  ;"  and  she  began  to 
laugh,  but  she  turned  a  cold  shoulder  to  the 
boys. 

"  I'm  very  big,  Polly,"  said  Phronsie  gravely, 
and  standing  up  on  her  tiptoes.  "  See  —  oh,  so 
big  !  and  I  must  go  down  and  help  poor  Bensie. 
Let  me,  Polly,  do  !  "  and  she  put  up  her  lips,  and 
the  tears  began  to  come  into  the  brown  eyes. 

"  Now  you  see,  boys,"  began  Polly,  casting 
aside  her  work  to  take  Phronsie  on  her  lap. 

"  Oh,  I'll  go,  Polly  !  "  cried  little  Davie,  spring- 
ing forward,  his  face  all  in  a  flame.  "  I  want  to 
go  ;  truly  I  do."  — 

"  No,  I  will,"  howled  Joel,  dashing  away  from 
his  window.  "  You've  been  ever  so  many  times, 
Dave ;  I'm  going." 

"Joel,"  cried  Polly,  as  he  was  rushing  off, 
"come  here  a  minute." 

He  came  back  slowly,  with  one  eye  on 
Davie.  "  What  do  you  want,  Polly  ?  "  he  cried 
impatiently. 

"  David  wants  to  go,"  said  Polly  slowly,  and 
looking  steadily  into  his  flushed  face.  "  Now, 
unless  you  really  want  to  go  to  help  Bensie, 
why  you  must  stay  at  home." 


28       STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

"I  —  want  —  to  go — to  help  Bensie,"  de- 
clared Joel  insistently,  with  a  very  red  face. 
"  O  Polly  !  I  do.  Let  me  go."  He  was  so  near 
to  crying  that  Polly  said  hastily,  "  I  know,  Joey, 
you  do  want  to  help  Bensie ;  there,  there,"  and 
she  gave  him  an  approving  little  pat. 

"  I  want  to  help  Bensie,"  cried  Joel ;  his 
smiles  all  come  again  to  the  chubby  face,  and 
off  he  dashed. 

"  Now,  Davie,"  said  Polly  in  her  briskest  fash- 
ion, and  setting  to  on  the  long  seam,  "I  think 
if  I  were  you,  I'd  play  with  Phronsie  a  bit," 
with  a  glance  at  the  disappointed  little  face. 

"  Come  on,  Phronsie,"  said  little  David,  gulp- 
ing down  his  disappointment ;  for  now  that  Joel 
was  fairly  on  the  way  to  meet  Ben,  nothing 
seemed  better  than  to  be  of  the  party.  But  he 
sat  clown  on  the  floor,  where  Phronsie  immedi- 
ately crouched  beside  him  ;  and  in  a  minute  the 
only  sound  in  the  old  kitchen  was  the  soft  hum 
of  their  voices,  and  Phronsie's  delighted  little 
gurgle  as  the  play  went  on. 

"  I  better  be  going  over  that  story  again  in 
my  mind,"  said  Polly  to  herself.  "  I've  a  good 
chance  now,  it's  so  quiet  and  lovely  ; "  and  she 
beamed  at  Davie  when  he  looked  up,  in  a  way 


THE    PRINCESS    ESMERALDA  S    BALL.  29 

to  make  his  little  heart  glad.  And  then  Polly 
was  lost  in  the  depths  of  her  story  till  the  old 
kitchen  and  the  little  brown  house  and  the 
children  faded  away ;  and  she  was  revelling  in 
the  glories  of  the  palace,  with  retinues  of  cour- 
tiers and  servants  at  her  beck  and  call,  and  all 
the  paraphernalia  of  royalty  around  her.  For 
was  she  not  the  Princess  Esmeralda  herself  ? 
And  a  smile  played  around  Polly's  lips  as  she 
stitched  on,  all  unconscious  of  the  task  her 
fingers  were  performing. 

"  Hi-hi ! "  It  was  Joel  shouting  close  to 
her  chair,  and  there  was  Ben  coming  in  the 
door  with  a  pleased  look  on  his  face.  "  Now 
for  the  story,"  screamed  Joey,  setting  down  the 
bag  of  meal  with  a  bang  on  the  table ;  and 
down  tumbled  Polly's  castle  all  around  her 
ears.  "Well,  I'm  glad  I've  got  it  fast  in  my 
mind  so  I  can  tell  it  good,"  she  said  with  a 
sigh  of  relief.  "Yes,  I'm  ready;"  and  she 
smiled  at  Ben. 

"That's  good,"  said  Ben  heartily,  "that  you 
didn't  tell  that  story  until  I  got  home,  Polly." 

"Did  you  suppose  I  would,  Ben  ?"  said  Polly 
with  an  air  of  reproach. 
.  "  No,  I  didn't  really,"  said  Ben,  wiping  his 


30       STOKIKS  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

hot  face.  "  But  it  was  good  of  you,  Polly,  to 
wait  for  me.  And  it  was  good  of  you  Joe,  too, 
to  come  to  meet  me,  for  I  had  to  go  around  to 
Parson  Henderson's  with  a  letter." 

"  O  lien  !  "  exclaimed  Polly,  "  did  you  have  to 
go  all  around  there  with  those  heavy  things  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  Ben,  "  I  did.  But  you  wouldn't 
have  had  me  not  go,  Polly  ;  for  Mr.  Atkins  said 
Parson  Henderson  had  been  for  his  letters 
very  early,  and  this  came  afterwards,  and  he 
wouldn't  be  there  again  to-day." 

"  Oh  no,  no,  of  course  not,"  said  Polly  hastily. 
"  I  mean  I  wouldn't  have  had  you  not  go  for 
anything  in  this  world,  Ben  Pepper.  You  know 
I  wouldn't;"  and  she  looked  so  distressed  that 
Ben  hastened  to  say  most  assuringly,  — 

"  I  know  you  wouldn't,  Polly  ;  and  don't  you 
think,  Mrs.  Henderson  said  it  was  a  most  im- 
portant letter  indeed  ;  and  if  Mr.  Henderson 
hadn't  had  it  to-day  it  would  have  been  very 
bad." 

"  Oh,  I  am  so  glad  he  got  it  to-day,  Ben 
Pepper  !  "  Polly  flew  out  of  her  chair  to  run  and 
throw  her  arms  around  him.  "  And  you  were 
the  one  to  carry  it  to  him." 

"And  then  when  I  got  to  the  Four  Corners," 


THE    PRINCESS    ESMERALDA  S    BALL.  31 

went  on  Ben,  "  there  was  Joel  running  to  meet 
me.  You  can't  think  how  good  it  seemed  to 
see  him  ! " 

"  O  Joey  !  did  you  get  clear  down  to  the  Four 


Polly  threw  her  arms  around  Ben. 

Corners  ?  "  cried  Polly,  turning  to  him  in  a  trans- 
port. 

"  Yes,  I  did,"  bobbed  Joel,  glad  to  think  he 
had  run  every  step  of  the  way  without  stopping 
to  think,  and  forgetting  how  his  arms  ached  car- 
rying the  meal-bag.  "  Now,  Polly,  tell  us  the 
story  quick,  do." 


32       STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

"  So  I  will,"  cried  Polly  merrily,  rushing 
back  to  her  chair  and  the  sewing.  "  Oh,  it's  so 
splendid  that  Ben's  back  !  We've  got  a  whole 
hour  now  before  Mamsie's  to  be  home.  Now, 
then,"  as  the  group  huddled  up  around  her. 
"  Once  upon  a  time,  long  years  ago,  there  was 
one  of  the  richest  kings  and  queens  that  the 
world  has  ever  seen.  Why,  they  had  so  much 
money  that  nobody  had  ever  counted  it  ;  they 
hadn't  time,  you  know.  And  it  kept  coming  in 
until  the  bags  of  gold  pieces  filled  up  all  one 
side  of  the  courtyard,  and  they  had  to  build 
great  sheds  to  put  the  rest  in." 

"  Where'd  it  come  from?"  broke  in  Joel  ab- 
ruptly, unable  to  keep  still  at  thought  of  such 
a  state  of  affairs. 

"  Oh  !  the  things  they  sold  in  the  whole  king- 
dom were  so  many,"  said  Polly;  "there  were 
millions  —  no,  billions  of  bushels  of  corn,  and 
wheat  and  rye  and  silks  and  ribbons  and  butter 
and  cheese,  and  laces  and  artificial  flowers  and 
candy,  and  "- 

"Oh,  my  !  "  cried  Joel,  smacking  his  lips. 

"Like  the  pink  sticks  old  Mrs.  Beebe  gave 
Phronsie  the  day  she  hurt  her  toe?"  queried 
David,  his  mouth  watering  at  the  remembrance. 


THE    PRINCESS    ESMERALDA  S    BALL.  33 

"Yes,  the  very  same,"  said  Polly. 

"  Now,  you  children  mustn't  interrupt  every 
single  minute,"  commanded  Ben  ;  "  if  you  do, 
Polly  and  I  will  go  off  into  a  corner,  and  she  will 
tell  me  the  story.  And  Phronsie  —  we'll  take 
her,  because  she  hasn't  said  a  word." 

"  Oh,  we  won't  —  we  won't  again,  will  we, 
Dave  ? "  cried  Joel,  with  a  punch  on  that  indi- 
vidual's back. 

"  No,"  said  little  David  promptly  ;  "please  go 
on,  Polly." 

"You  see,  everything  that  anybody  wanted 
to  buy  —  I  mean  the  people  in  other  countries 
—  was  all  for  sale  in  this  kingdom  ;  and  big 
ships  went  sailing  off  ever  so  many  times  a  day 
with  the  things  piled  in  them ;  and  when  they 
came  back  the  captain  brought  all  the  money 
he  got  for  the  things,  tied  up  in  big  bags  ; 
and  the  ships  kept  coming  back,  ever  so  many 
a  day,  so  that  there  was  no  hope  that  the  gold 
pieces  would  ever  be  any  less.  And  one  day 
the  king  walked  up  and  down  his  palace  hall, 
wringing  his  hands.  'Oh  !  I  wish  there  wasn't 
so  much  money  in  the  world,'  he  cried  ;  '  for 
pretty  soon  I  shall  be  turned  out-of-doors,  with 
all  the  gold  pieces  crowding  me  out.'  And  he 


34       STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

looked  so  very  sad  as  his  wife,  the  queen,  put 
her  head  in  the  doorway,  that  she  said,  '  My 
dear,  we  will  have  the  golden  coach  brought 
around  to  take  us  out  to  drive.' 

"  '  Don't  say  golden  anything  to  me,'  cried 
the  king  in  a  passion,  for  he  was  almost  beside 
himself.  '  I'm  sick  of  the  sound  of  the  word, 
my  dear;'  and  he  beckoned  her  to  him,  and 
they  went  and  sat  together  on  the  great  throne 
at  one  end  of  the  hall.  It  shone  with  diamonds 
and  rubies  and  emeralds,  and  all  manner  of 
precious  stones  ;  and  it  had  great  curtains  of 
twisted  ropes  of  jewels  looped  up  over  their 
heads  ;  and  there  they  sat,  and  he  held  her  hand. 
'I'm  really  afraid,'  and  he  looked  in  her  face, 
'that  something  must  be  done,  for  this  is  a 
dreadful  state  of  things.' 

"'Now,  if  you  are  going  to  talk  business,' 
said  the  queen  tartly,  '  I  think  it  is  time  to 
call  Esmeralda.'  You  see,  whenever  there  was 
anything  to  decide  in  the  kingdom,  the  king 
and  queen  never  did  the  leastest  little  bit  of  a 
thing  about  it,  without  at  first  calling  Esmeralda, 
and  laying  the  case  before  her.  So  now  they 
rang  five  or  six  golden  bells  in  turn  ;  and  the 
king  blew  a  blast  on  a  glass  horn,  oh,  ever  so 


THE    PRINCESS    ESMERALUA  S    BALL. 


35 


many  feet  long !  that  hung  by  his  side  of  the 
throne ;  and  the  queen  whistled  on  a  tremendous 
silver  whistle  that  hung  by  her  side  of  the 
throne  ;  and  pretty  soon  Esmeralda  came  run- 
ning in  all  out  of  breath.  She  was  dressed 
in  sea-green  satin,  over  a 
white  lace  petticoat  pinned 
up  with  diamonds,  and  she 
had  a  bunch  of  flowers  in 
her  hand  that  were  sweet 


the  Princess  Esmeralda." 


with  the  morning  dew.  She  had  long  floating 
yellow  hair,  just  like  Phronsie's;"  and  Polly 
paused  long  enough  to  glance  lovingly  at  the 
small  head  snuggled  up  against  her  knee. 

"  'Good-morning,  father,'  and  'Good-morning, 
mother,'  said  the  Princess  Esmeralda,  kneeling 
before  her  parents  sitting  on  the  throne ;  and 


36       STORIKS  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

she  laid  the  flowers,  with  the  morning  dew  on 
them,  in  their  hands. 

"'We  have  summoned  you,  Esmeralda,'  said 
the  king  in  a  troubled  way,  'because  we  are 
in  dire  extremity,  and  must  have  your  advice.' 

"  Esmeralda  wrinkled  her  pretty  brow,  and 
looked  very  wise ;  but  her  heart  beat  dreadfully 
against  her  bodice  and  "  • 

"  What's    a    bod  "  —  began    Joel. 

"Ugh!"  cried  Ben  with  a  warning  finger 
held  up,  as  Joel  ducked  instantly. 

"It's  a  waist  that  princesses  always  wear," 
said  Polly  ;  "and  Esmeralda's  was  all  spangled 
with  gold  and  silver.  It  shone  so  that  no  one 
could  look  at  it  more  than  a  minute  at  a  time. 
Well,  so  she  said,  'Yes,  father,'  and  'Yes, 
mother. ' 

"'We  have  too  much  gold,'  said  the  king, 
smiting  his  hands  together.  'Esmeralda,  I  tell 
you  truly,  if  it  keeps  coming  in  we  shall  all  have 
to  move  out  from  this  palace,  and  find  another 
home.  What  shall  we  do,  my  child? ' 

"Esmeralda  jumped  up  from  her  knees,  and 
ran  to  the  casement,  and  climbed  up  the  golden 
seat  beneath  it,  and  peered  out.  There  were 
the  ships  below  her  in  the  harbor,  with  the 


THE    PRINCESS    ESMERALDA  S    BALL.  37 

men  taking  out  the  bags  and  bags  and  bags 
of  gold ;  and  as  far  as  her  eye  could  reach,  there 
were  more  ships  and  more  ships  and  more  ships 
all  coming  in,  filled  with  bags  to  the  very  brim. 
She  got  down,  and  ran  back.  '  It  is  certainly 
very  dreadful,  father  and  mother,'  she  said, 
clasping  her  hands. 

" '  Indeed  it  is,'  declared  the  king ;  and  he 
began  to  tear  his  hair. 

"  '  Husband,  don't  feel  so  badly,'  implored  the 
poor  queen  at  that  sight,  throwing  her  arms 
around  him.  '  Esmeralda,  you  must  think 
quickly,  because  you  see  we  are  both  going 
quite  distracted.' 

''So  Esmeralda  said  the  first  thing  that  came 
into  her  head.  '  You  might  tell  the  men  to 
untie  the  bags,  and  pour  the  gold  pieces  into 
the  sea  at  the  mouth  of  the  harbor.' 

"  ( The  very  thing  ! '  exclaimed  the  king  in  de- 
light ;  and  his  face  was  covered  with  smiles. 
'  Oh,  what  it  is  to  have  a  clever  child  ! '  and  the 
queen  fell  upon  Esmeralda's  neck,  and  kissed 
and  kissed  her. 

"So  then  the  king  rang  all  his  bells,  and  blew 
his  long  glass  horn,  and  then  he  struck  a  big 
silver  gong  that  was  always  the  signal  for  the 


38  STORIES    1'OLLY    PEPPER    TOLD. 

Lord  High  Chamberlain  to  appear.  And  when 
he  popped  in  with  his  robes  of  office  all  caught 
up  in  his  hands,  to  let  him  run.  to  obey  the 
king's  call,  and  his  high  peaked  hat  awry  for 
the  same  reason,  the  king  gave  him  the  order 
just  as  Esmeralda  said  ;  and  then  the  Lord  High 
Chamberlain  plunged  out,  after  bowing  himself 
before  the  throne  five  and  twenty  times  to  the 
marble  floor  ;  and  the  king  said  to  the  queen,  in 
the  greatest  satisfaction,  '  My  dear,  we  must 
give  Esmeralda  a  Ball  for  being  so  clever.' 

"And  the  queen  said,  '  Yes,  a  Ball,'  with  the 
greatest  alacrity.  And  Esmeralda  hopped  up 
and  down  in  glee,  she  \vas  so  happy  ;  and  she 
danced  and  danced  until  off  flew  seventy-nine 
of  the  diamonds  from  her  lace  petticoat,  and 
rolled  away  into  as  many  cracks  and  crevices  in 
the  corners  of  the  marble  hall.  But  she  didn't 
care  ;  for  there  were  bushels  in  her  room,  and 
a  dozen  or  two  women  always  sitting  on  their 
crickets,  with  their  needles  threaded  with  silver 
thread,  ready  to  sew  on  more. 

"  So  then  the  word  went  out  from  the  palace 
all  over  the  kingdom,  that  there  was  to  be  a 
Ball  for  the  Princess  Esmeralda ;  and  all  the 
while  the  golden  stream  was  pouring  out  every 


THE    PRINCESS    ESMERALDA  S    BALL.  39 

minute  from  the  big  bags  into  the  mouth  of  the 
harbor.  And  Esmeralda  fell  asleep  every  night 
to  dream  of  the  beautiful  music,  and  flowers, 
and  lights,  and  the  gay  young  princes  to  be 
sent  for  as  company  from  every  other  kingdom  ; 
for  you  must  know  that  never  had  there  been 
such  a  ball  in  all  this  world  before  as  this  one 
was  to  be.  And  every  morning  Esmeralda 
waked  up  quite,  quite  happy,  because  the  Ball 
night  was  just  so  much  nearer.  And  at  last 
her  dress  was  all  ready,  and  laid  out  upon  her 
little  white  bed.  It  was"  —  Polly  paused  most 
impressively  to  allow  her  hearers  to  take  it  all 
in  properly,  "  it  was  made  out  of  the  very  finest 
cobwebs  that  had  all  been  spun  in  the  sunshine 
of  the  palace  court-yards.  For  this,  millions  of 
spiders  had  been  caught  by  the  command  of  the 
king,  who  had  sent  out  an  edict  for  that  pur- 
pose ;  and  they  had  been  set  spinning  until  they 
had  made  this  beautiful  dress  of  the  princess. 
And  it  was  trimmed  around  the  bottom  and 
the  neck  by  a  rainbow,  and  "  — 

"  O  Polly  !  "  exclaimed  Ben. 

"  There,  Ben's  talking ! "  broke  in  Joel  in 
huge  delight.  "  Hoh  !  hoh  !  " 

"  Yes,  a  rainbow,"  repeated  Polly  stoutly  ;  "  a 


4O       STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

beautiful  red  and  green  and  blue  and  yellow 
rainbow.  Oh  !  you  can't  begin  to  think,  chil- 
dren, how  perfectly  lovely  Esmeralda  did  look 
when  she  was  all  dressed  ready  for  the  Ball. 
Well,  and  then  the  princes  began  to  arrive. 
There  were  two  hundred  of  them,  and  each  one 
brought  the  princess  a  present.  But  the  king 
had  said  that  she  should  not  accept  anything 
of  gold,  so  it  had  been  some  little  trouble  for 
them  to  get  anything  that  was  nice  enough 
without  having  it  golden.  But  they  did,  and 
there  were  two  hundred  presents  set  out  in  the 
palace  hall.  And  Esmeralda  was  to  walk  up 
and  clown  the  whole  length,  and  choose  the 
present  she  liked  the  best  out  of  the  whole  col- 
lection ;  and  then  she  was  to  dance  with  the 
prince  who  had  given  her  this  present.  Oh, 
dear  me  !  she  thought  she  would  cry  her  eyes 
out  when  the  king  decided  this  must  be  done; 
for  how  was  she  to  choose  between  so  many 
perfectly  beautiful  things,  and  there  would  be 
one  hundred  and  ninety-nine  princes  feeling 
very  unhappy  indeed.  She  was  just  going  to 
say,  '  Oh,  my  father  !  I  cannot  do  it  ; '  and  then 
she  knew  the  king  would  ring,  and  strike  his 
big  silver  gong,  and  blow  for  the  Lord  High 


THE    PRINCESS    ESMERALDA  S    BALL.  4! 

Chamberlain  to  take  him  off  from  the  throne 
and  put  him  to  bed,  and  then  the  lights  would 
be  turned  out,  and  everybody  would  go  home, 
and  there  would  be  no  Ball  at  all.  She  couldn't 
do  that,  of  course,  as  you  see.  So  she  stopped 
a  minute  to  think,  as  she  always  did  when  she 
had  hard  questions  to  decide,  until  the  king 
roared  at  her,  '  Do  as  I  say,  daughter,  or  out 
go  the  lights  ; '  and  then  she  said  the  first  thing 
that  came  in  her  head.  '  I  like  all  the  presents 
best,  and  we'll  all  dance  together  at  once.' 

" '  Dear  me ! '  exclaimed  the  king, '  how  clever ! ' 
and  he  screamed  joyfully  to  the  musicians  to 
begin ;  and  the  princess  and  the  two  hundred 
princes  all  began  hopping  and  jumping  about 
the  hall,  and  presently  it  looked  so  nice,  the 
king  gave  his  hand  to  the  queen,  and  she  slid 
down  from  the  throne,  and  began  to  hop  about 
too ;  and  the  Lord  High  Chancellor  picked  up 
his  flowing  robes,  and  danced  on  the  tips  of  his 
toes  ;  and  the  court  ladies  skipped  back  and 
forth ;  and  the  servants  came  to  look  in  the  door- 
ways, and  so  did  the  retinues  of  soldiers.  And 
they  couldn't  help  it,  the  music  was  so  fine ;  and 
oh,  dear  me  !  it  went  just  like  this,"  —  and  Polly 
broke  off  into  a  merry  little  tune  as  she  sprang 


42       STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

to  her  feet  and  held  out  her  hands,  "  Come  on, 
let  us  all  dance!"  and  she  seized  Ben's  arms, 
and  danced  him  half  across  the  old  kitchen 
floor. 

"  Take  me,  Polly  ! "  begged  Joel,  who  had 
tumbled  over  himself  in  surprise,  and  now  got 
to  his  feet  to  run  after  the  two  spinning  off  so 
finely. 

"  Can't,"  said  Polly  over  her  shoulder  ;  "you 
take  Phronsie  ; "  and  then  she  began  again  on 
the  gay  tune  —  Ben  whistling  away  for  dear 
life  as  an  accompaniment. 

"Dave's  got  her,"  said  Joel  in  great  discom- 
fiture, turning  around  to  see  little  Davie  and 
Phronsie's  pink  calico  gown  flying  along  at  a 
merry  rate.  "  I  haven't  got  anybody,"  seeing 
which  Polly  stopped  short.  "Come  with  us;" 
and  she  held  out  her  hand,  and  Ben  grasped 
Joel's  arm,  and  away  they  went  till  the  old 
kitchen  rang  with  the  fun. 


THE    STORY    OF    THE    CIRCUS.  43 


III. 

THE    STORY    OF    THE    CIRCUS. 

"  ~\7"OU  see,"  said  Polly,  "as  it  rains  to-day, 

JL  I  think  we  ought  to  have  the  Circus 
story." 

"  Oh  !  oh  !  oh  !  "  cried  all  the  Five  Little 
Peppers  together,  Ben  not  being  ashamed  to 
add  his  shout  of  approval  too. 

"  Do  you  think  you  really  ought  to,  Polly  ? " 
he  asked,  coming  out  of  it,  and  leaving  the 
others  in  the  babel  of  rejoicing.  "Won't  you 
want  it  more  for  some  other  time  ? " 

Polly  ran  over  and  caught  him  by  the  jacket 
sleeve. 

"  I  really  think  we  ought  to  have  it  to-day, 
Bensie,"  she  whispered.  "  You  see,  they've 
been  awfully  good,  and  it's  rained  for  three 
days  now,  and  you  know  there  wasn't  enough 
mush  for  breakfast,  and  Mamsie  couldn't  get 
any  coats  to  do  this  week,  'cause  Mr.  Atkins 


44        STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

didn't  dare  let  her  have  any  more  to  sew  until 
he'd  sold  what  he  had,  and  trade's  so  poor." 
And  Polly  sighed,  and  wiped  away  two  tears. 
Ben  turned  away  a  moment,  and  swallowed 
something  hard  that  was  in  his  throat.  Polly, 
at  sight  of  this,  began  to  laugh  ;  and  she  said 
gayly,  "  Yes,  indeed,  we'll  have  the  Circus  story 
now.  Get  your  chairs,  and  let's  sit  round  in  a 
ring,  children." 

With  that  the  babel  of  rejoicing  changed  into 
a  scuffle  for  chairs  and  crickets,  Joel  protesting 
that  he  should  sit  next  to  Polly,  and  Phronsie 
scuttling  along  to  crowd  into  Polly's  lap,  till  the 
little  old  kitchen  fairly  rang  with  the  noise. 

"  Let's  sit  in  a  ring  on  the  floor,  Polly,  that's 
best,"  begged  little  David.  So  they  all  got 
down,  and  Polly  had  Joel  on  one  side  and  Phron- 
sie on  the  other  ;  though  to  be  sure  everybodv 
was  next  to  everybody  else,  as  the  ring  was  con- 
stantly moving  up  closer  till  it  was  a  bunch  of 
Five  Little  Peppers  ;  and  everybody  looked  as 
if  there  had  been  plenty  of  breakfast,  and  all 
sorts  of  good  things  in  the  Little  Brown  House 
enough  for  all  time  to  come. 

"  Now,  you  know,  children,"  said  Polly,  folding 
her  hands  in  her  lap,  and  feeling  quite  elegant 


THE    STORY    OF    THE    CIRCUS.  45 


'The  circus  story,"  said  Polly,  "  is  about  so  many  best  and  splendid 
things  that  you  must  keep  quite  still." 


46       STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

to  be  sitting  down  in  the  morning  telling 
stories  ;  and  she  looked  at  them  impressively, 
"I've  promised  you  the  Circus  story  for  a 
lo-ong  time." 

"  Yes,  we  know,"  said  Joel,  hitching  im- 
patiently. "  Don't  talk,  but  begin." 

Polly  shot  him  a  reproving  glance  that  made 
him  duck  behind  Davie,  who  sat  next,  as  she 
went  on,  "And  now  to-day  I'm  going  to  give  it 
to  you.  I  linow  Alamsie'd  say  'twas  best,  every- 
thing's all  clean  spick  span;"  and  she  glanced 
with  pride  around  the  little  old  kitchen  that 
shone  from  top  to  toe. 

"  Mamsie'd  like  it,"  cooed  Phronsie  ;  and  she 
patted  her  pink  apron  down  and  looked  at  Polly 
to  begin. 

"The  Circus  story,"  said  Polly,  beginning 
with  a  great  flourish,  "  is  about  so  many  best 
and  splendid  things  that  you  must  keep  quite 
still  and  not  interrupt  me  a  single  teenty  wee 
bit." 

They  one  and  all  protested  that  they  wouldn't 
say  a  word.  So  she  began,  while  each  one  sat 
as  still  as  a  mouse. 

"Way  far  over  the  top  of  a  high  mountain," 
said  Polly,  "  so  far  that  no  one  had  ever  been  en- 


THE    STORY    OF    THE    CIRCUS.  47 

tirely  over  it,  at  least  to  come  back,  lived  a  big 
man.  He  was  so  large  that  he  couldn't  have 
found  any  house  in  all  Badgertown  big  enough 
to  get  into  if  he  had  tried  ever  and  ever  so 
much.  He  had  arms  and  legs  and  eyes  to 
match,  you  know,  and  feet  and  ears,  so  he 
could  take  perfectly  dreadfully  large  steps,  and 
he  could  lift  as  big  rocks  in  his  hands  as  the 
one  hanging  over  Cherry  Brook.  Oh,  and  he 
could  see  with  his  big  eyes  that  stood  right  out 
of  his  face  just  like  cannon  balls,  so  that  noth- 
ing could  hide  from  him,  even  if  it  tried  ever  so 
much." 

Joel  twisted  uneasily  and  wriggled  up  nearer 
to  Polly's  side.  "  And  one  day  the  big  man  sat 
down  on  a  spur  of  the  mountain  and  dangled 
his  feet  down  the  side.  This  was  his  swing, 
you  know  ;  and  he  always  sat  there  when  he  was 
thinking  hard  over  anything,  or  making  plans. 

"  Well,  there  he  sat  thinking  —  thinking  away 
as  hard  as  ever  he  could.  And  pretty  soon  he 
got  up  and  slapped  his  knee,  just  as  Mr.  Tisbett 
does,  you  know;  and  he  roared  out,  'The  very 
thing  —  the  very  thing  ! '  And  folks  down  in  the 
valley  all  ran  to  their  windows  and  said  it  thun- 
dered, and  they  drove  into  the  barns  and  sheds 


48       STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

and  got  ready  for  the  storm.  Well,  after  the 
big  man  stopped  roaring  'the  very  thing,'  and 
slapping  his  knee,  he  looked  down  the  mountain, 
the  side  he  lived  on,  you  know,  and  the  first  thing- 
he  saw  was  a  hippo — -hippo  —  moppi  —  poppi- 
cus."  Here  Polly  paused  to  take  breath.  She 
was  very  fond  of  long  words,  and  it  was  her 
great  delight  to  wrestle  with  them  ;  so  now  she 
thought  she  had  done  very  well  indeed,  and  she 
ran  on  in  the  best  of  spirits  —  "  Oh,  he  was  so 
big  —  there  isn't  anything,  children,  that  can 
tell  you  how  big  he  was  !  Well,  the  big  man 
no  sooner  saw  him  than  he  ran  like  lightning 
on  his  perfectly  dreadfully  large  feet  down  his 
side  of  the  mountain,  and  he  said  to  the  hippo  — 
pippo  —  poppi  —  moppicus  —  'Here,  you,  sir,  put 
your  head  in  this  ;'  and  he  twitched  out  of  one 
of  his  side  pockets  a  string.  It  was  made  of 
leather,  and  was  just  as  strong  —  oh,  you  can't 
think.  Well  the  'hippo,'  I'm  going  to  call 
him  that  for  short,"  said  Polly  suddenly,  quite 
tired  out,  "took  a  good  look  all  around,  but  he 
saw  no  way  of  escape  ;  and  the  big  man  kept 
growing  more  dreadfully  cross  every  minute  he 
waited,  so  the  poor  hippo  at  last  said,  "  As  you 
please,  sir,"  and  he  put  his  head  into  the  string 


THE    STORY    OF    THE    CIRCUS.  49 

and  was  tied  fast  to  a  big  tree  that  was  one 
hundred  and  sixty-seven  feet  round.  Then  the 
big  man  laughed  a  perfectly  dreadful  laugh  ;  and 
he  said,  when  he  had  finished,  '  Now  you  are 
going  to  the  Circus,  sir,  and  see  the  pennies 
taken  in  at  the  door.'  Then  he  went  off  up  to 
his  mountain-spur  again. 

"And  presently  he  looked  down  his  side  of  the 
mountain  again,  and  he  spied  a  gre-at  big  snake, 
oh,  a  beautiful  one  !  all  green  and  gold  stripes, 
and  great  flashing  green  eyes  to  match ;  for 
the  big  man  watched  Mr.  Snake  raise  his  head 
as  he  wriggled  along,  and  he  ran  down  his  side 
of  the  mountain  on  his  dreadfully  large  feet 
as  quick  as  a  flash,  and  stood  in  front  of  Mr. 
Snake,  who  looked  this  way  and  that  for  a 
chance  to  escape.  But  there  was  none,  you 
see,  for  the  dreadfully  large  feet  of  the  big 
man  took  up  all  the  room  ;  so  at  last  Mr.  Snake 
said  in  a  tired-out  voice,  just  like  this  :  '  If  you 
please,  sir,  would  you  move  just  a  very  little  ?' 

" '  Put  your  head  in  here,  sir,'  roared  the  big 
man  at  him,  so  that  the  snake  shook  and  shook 
just  like  a  leaf  on  one  of  our  maple-trees  in  a 
storm.  Well,  and  at  last  he  had  his  head  with 
the  flashing  green  eyes,  fast  in  a  big  bag,  which 


50       STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

you  must  know  in  a  twinkling  the  big  man  had 
pulled  out  of  his  other  side  pocket,  and  then  he 
was  left  to  go  flopping  and  flopping  around  on 
the  ground  most  dismally.  And  then  the  big 
man  scrambled  up  to  his  mountain-side  again. 

"Well,"  said  Polly  with  a  long  breath,  "the 
next  thing  he  saw  was  a  gi-raffe,  as  much  bigger 
than  the  others  as  you  can  imagine.  And  he 
got  him  fast,  too,  so  he  couldn't  get  away ;  and 
then  he  went  up  to  spy  out  more  animals.  And 
by  the  time  the  sun  went  down  behind  the 
mountain,  and  he  couldn't  catch  any  more,  he 
had  two  hundred  creatures  all  tied  fast  to  trees, 
or  with  their  heads  in  bags.  And  then  he  sat 
down  on  a  big  stone  to  rest." 

"  I  should  think  he'd  have  to,"  said  Ben  under 
his  breath. 

Polly  shot  him  a  reproving  glance,  and  hurried 
on.  "  Well,  after  he  was  all  rested  nicely  again, 
he  jumped  up  from  his  stone,  and  looked  them 
all  in  the  face,  that  is,  he  looked  those  who 
were  tied  to  trees  in  the  face,  but  those  with 
their  heads  in  bags,  of  course  he  couldn't,  and 
he  said,  '  My  friends,'  for  he  thought  he  ought 
to  treat  them  kindly,  they'd  been  so  good  to 
him,  '  I'm  going  to  take  you  to  see  the  world  a 


THE    STORY    OF    THE    CIRCUS.  51 

little.'  Then  he  untied  those  who  were  tied  to 
the  trees,  and  set  them  in  a  line,  the  hippo  in 
front,  because  he  had  him  the  longest,  so  it  was 
right  to  give  him  the  first  place,  and  the  crea- 
tures with  their  heads  in  the  bags  he  set  in  the 
middle,  because  they  didn't  need  to  see,  but 
could  just  follow  the  noise  of  the  animals  step- 
ping in  front  of  them,  and  then  a  long  line  of 
more  animals.  Then  the  big  man  cut  down 
one  of  the  large  trees  and  switched  it  at  the 
heels  of  the  last  animal,  which  was  a  rhodo- 
dendron." 

"  O  Polly  !  "  gasped  Ben. 

"Yes  'twas,"  she  declared  positively,  with 
red  cheeks,  "  I'm  quite  sure  of  that  word,  for  I 
saw  it  in  the  book  Parson  Higginson  lent  us; 
so  there  !  Ben  Pepper." 

"Well,  never  mind,"  said  Ben  faintly  ;  "go  on 
with  the  story,  Polly."  So  Polly  made  her 
rhododendron  move  as  swiftly  as  all  the  others 
in  the  line ;  and  presently  the  whole  procession, 
with  the  big  man  at  its  rear  switching  the 
heels  of  the  last  animal,  was  at  the  top  of  the 
mountain  ;  and  then  he  called  in  a  loud  voice, 
'  Come,  Mr.  Circus-man,  and  get  your  menaj- 
menaj-arie."  Polly  got  over  this  very  well,  and 


52       STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

hurried  on  glibly.  "And  all  the  people  who  had 
opened  their  barn-doors  and  houses,  thinking 
there  was  to  be  no  storm,  clapped  them  to 
again  in  a  fright.  All  except  one  man,  and  they 
screamed  to  him  that  he  was  risking  his  life; 
but  he  didn't  care,  and  he  wouldn't  pay  any  at- 
tention to  them.  So  he  poked  his  head  out  of 
his  doorway,  and  he  screamed,  'I'm  going  up 
the  mountain  to  see  for  myself  if  there's  going 
to  be  a  storm.'  And  they  all  bade  him  good- 
bye, and  said  they  were  sure  they  should  never 
see  him  again  ;  and  then  they  locked  their  doors, 
and  padlocked  them,  and  away  he  ran  up  the 
mountain. 

"The  big  man  was  waiting  for  him  ;  and  he 
said  to  his  animals,  '  Now,  my  friends,  when 
that  man's  head  begins  to  show  over  that  scrub- 
oak  there,'  pointing  to  the  tree,  'do  you  all 
say,  "  How  do  you  do,  and  Jioiv  do  you  do,  and 
how  do  you  do  again."  '  So  the  animals  said 
they  would  ;  and  as  soon  as  the  man's  head  was 
to  be  seen  peeping  over  the  tree-top,  as  he  ran 
pretty  fast,  they  all  said  it.  The  Hippo  roared 
it,  and  Mr.  Snake  grumbled  it  clear  down  half 
his  length,  and  the  rhi-rhino-cerus  squealed  it, 
and  the  elephant  howled  it,  and  the  "  — 


THE    STORY    OF    THE    CIRCUS.  53 

"  What  did  the  rhododendron  do  ?  "  asked 
Ben. 

"And  the  guinea-pig  —  oh,  I  forgot  to  tell 
you  there  was  a  perfectly  splendid  guinea-pig 
in  the  collection,"  said  Polly,  not  taking  any 
notice  of  Ben ;  "  and  he  said  it  big  and  loud 
•in  his  natural  voice,  and  the  monkey  shrieked 
it,  and  "  — 

"Oh  !  is  there  a  dear  sweet  little  monkey  ?" 
cried  Phronsie  in  a  transport.  "O  Polly!  I 
want  him  to  play  with,  I  do." 

"  Oh,  no,  Phronsie,  you  can't,"  said  Polly- 
hurrying  on ;  "  the  Circus-man  has  to  have  him, 
you  know.  Well,  and  oh,  dear  me  !  every  single 
one  of  those  animals  said,  '  How  do  you  do,  and 
how  do  you  do,  and  how  do  you  do  again.'  And 
the  man  took  one  look  at  them  and  he  said, 
'  Pretty  well,  I  thank  you.' 

"  And  the  big  man  said,  '  You're  the  man  for 
me  ;  and  I  give  all  these  animals  to  you,  for  you 
are  the  only  one  who  isn't  afraid.  Now,  march, 
and  good-by.'  And  the  Circus-man  rubbed  his 
eyes  and  looked  again,  and  there  wasn't  any 
big  man ;  all  that  was  left  was  the  long  line  of 
animals  and  crawling  things.  So  down  the 
mountain-side  the  procession  went.  And  at  the 


54       STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

foot  there  were  sixteen  red  carts  with  yellow 
borders,  and  a  cunning  little  carriage  drawn  by 
ever  and  ever  so  many  dear  sweet  ponies  no 
bigger  than  dogs,  and  then  in  a  minute,  out 
from  behind  the  trees,  came  rushing  as  many 
as  a  dozen,  no,  two  dozen  big  horses  with  long 
tails.  And  they  swept  up  to  the  Circus-man  to 
have  him  scratch  their  noses/' 

The  Five  Little  Peppers  now  became  dread- 
fully excited.  And  Joel  jumped  up.  "Whoop- 
la  !  "  he  screamed,  as  he  pranced  around  and 
around  the  group  on  the  floor,  stepping  high, 
and  slapping  himself  as  he  raced  along.  "  Come 
on,  Dave ;  this  is  the  way  I'd  make  'em  go,  all 
those  horses." 

"Polly,  do  you  suppose  we'll  ever  see  a  Cir- 
cus?" cried  little  Davie  with  shining  eyes; 
"  ever  in  all  this  world  ?  " 

"  Kver  in  all  this  world  ?  "  hummed  Phronsie, 
while  Ben  set  his  teeth  tight  together  and  looked 
at  her.  "Yes,  indeed,"  declared  Polly  confi- 
dently, with  eyes  only  for  Ben.  "  Don't  look 
so,  Ben,"  she  cried  ;  "  we'll  see  one  sometime." 

"Polly  always  gets  her  flowers,"  said  little 
Davie  in  a  moment,  in  a  reflective  way. 

"And    if  we  don't  ever  get  to  see  a  really, 


THE    STORY    OF    THE    CIRCUS..  55 

truly  Circus,"  cried  Polly  impulsively,  "we  can 
hear  all  about  it  same's  we  have  already  from 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Beebe.  So  just  think  what  those 
children  must  have  to  do,  who  don't  ever  have 
anybody  to  tell  them  about  it  as  we  have." 
She  folded  her  hands  in  her  lap  and  was  lost  in 
thought. 

"  Whoop-la  !  Whoopity-la  !  G'lang  !  "  cried 
Joel  with  an  awful  noise,  making  his  steeds  put 
forth  all  their  best  paces,  around  the  little  old 
kitchen.  "And  I'm  so  glad,"  Polly  was  saying, 
"  that  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Beebe  did  see  a  Circus  when 
they  went  down  to  Rockport ;  it's  the  greatest 
comfort.  Now,  if  you  don't  stop,  Joel,  I  can't 
tell  the  rest  of  the  story ; "  "  and  you  make 
so  much  noise  we  can't  hear  anything,"  said 
Ben. 

So  Joel  gave  up  slapping  his  imaginary  beasts, 
and  bounded  into  the  middle  of  the  group  again, 
and  the  little  old  kitchen  quieting  down,  Polly 
took  up  the  story  once  more. 

"  Well,  but  you  ought  to  have  seen  the  big 
white  tent  that  was  really  the  home  of  all  the 
animals  and  crawling  things,  when  they  actually 
got  home  and  staid  still,"  exclaimed  Polly, 
starting  off.  "  Oh  !  it  was  quite  magnificent,  I 


56        STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

can  tell  you.  It  was  as  big  as  the  church-green, 
and  it  had  a  great  flag  on  top  that  swung  out  in 
the  breeze  at  every  bit  of  wind,  and  there  were 
rows  and  rows  of  scats  all  around  it  in  a  ring, 
and  down  in  the  middle  was  the  place  where  the 
horses  danced,  and  " 

"Like  this?"  whooped  Joel,  breaking  away 
again  from  the  bunch  of  Five  Little  Peppers  on 
the  floor.  But  Ben  picked  him  by  the  jacket 
sleeve  and  made  him  sit  down  suddenly.  "  Hold 
on,  there,"  he  said  ;  "you  keep  still,  Joe,  you're 
worse  than  a  tornado.  Go  on,  Polly,  I'll  hold 
him  "  as  Polly  laughed  and  hurried  on. 

"One  day  they  were  having  a  beautiful  time  ; 
the  band  that  always  rode  in  the  red  wagon 
with  the  yellow  wheels,  was  playing  away,  oh, 
such  lovely  music  !  "  sighed  Polly  ;  "  and  the  big 
tent  was  just  crammed  full  of  people,  and  the 
horses  were  dancing,  and  everybody  was  just  as 
happy  as  could  be,  when  a  great  big  man,  oh  ",10 
head  was  almost  up  to  the  top  of  the  tent  when 
he  stood  up  straight,  came  up  to  the  door  and 
stooped  down  and  peeked  in. 

"  '  Go  right  away  ! '  screamed  the  door-man  at 
him  as  cross  as  he  could  be. 

"  'Where's  the  Circus-man  ? '  asked  the  great 


THE    STORY    OF    THE    CIRCUS. 


57 


big  man,  and  he  kept  peeking  in.    '  I  sha'n't  go 
till  I've  seen  the  Circus-man.' 

"  So  somebody  had  to  run  and  get  the  Circus- 
man  ;  and  they  made  him  stop,  although  he  was 


"Where's  the  Circus-man?"   asked  the  great  big  man. 

just  in  the  midst  of  showing  off  the  monkey 
who  was  having  a  waltz  on  the  back  of  the  big- 
gest elephant ;  and  he  was  pretty  cross,  and  he 
marched  up  to  the  great  big  man,  and  he  pre- 
tended not  to  know  him  ;  and  he  said  very 


58       STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

sharply,  'Go  right  off;  you're  making  a  per- 
fectly dreadful  noise,  and  you  haven't  paid,  and 
you  can't  go  in.' 

"  '  Don't  you  know  me,  Mr.  Circus-man  ? ' 
cried  the  great  big  man  ;  and  he  stood  up  quite 
straight,  and  his  eyes,  that  stuck  out  like  two 
cannon  balls,  stared  at  him. 

"  '  Go  right  away  ! '  said  the  Circus-man  an- 
grily. '  I  never  saw  you  before  in  all  my  life  ;  or 
I'll  set  the  dogs  on  you,'  and  he  snapped  his 
whip. 

"  '  Oh,  I'll  go,'  said  the  great  big  man.  '  Good- 
by,  Mr.  Circus-man  ;  the  next  time  you  come  up 
to  my  mountain  you  needn't  stop  to  see  me. 
Come  every  single  one  of  you  beasts  and  beast- 
esses,  and  reptiles  and  reptilesses,  and  animals  ; 
it's  time  to  go  home,"  he  roared.  And  every- 
body inside  the  big  tent  screamed  that  it  thun- 
dered, and  that  they'd  all  be  killed,  and  the 
elephant  knocked  the  monkey  off  from  his  back, 
and  the  big  snake  slipped  out,  and  the  rhi- 
noceros jumped  over  the  heads  of  the  children 
who  were  giving  him  peanuts,  and  the  hippo 
ran,  and  "- 

"  And  the  rhododendron,"  said  Ben  —  "  what 
did  he  do  ?  Don't  forget  him,  Polly." 


THE    STORY    OF    THE    CIRCUS.  59 

"And  the  gi-raffe,"  said  Polly,  with  a  cold 
shoulder  for  Ben,  "  and  all  of  them,  they  just 
ran  and  jumped  and  skipped  and  hopped  and 
wriggled  out  of  that  tent,  and  the  great  big 
man  was  going  off  on  his  perfectly  dreadfully 
large  feet,  till  he  was  miles  away  in  a  few 
minutes  ;  and  off  they  all  hurried,  every  single 
one  of  them,  after  him  ;  and  although  the  Circus- 
man  chased  and  chased  and  chased  after  them, 
he  never  could  catch  them.  And  that's  all," 
said  Polly,  leaning  back  quite  exhausted. 

"Well,  well!"  exclaimed  Mother  Pepper, 
coming  in  suddenly  upon  the  absorbed  little 
group;  "now,  that  looks  comfortable,"  and  her 
face  lighted  up  and  she  beamed  at  Polly. 

"  O  Mamsie  !  "  ^creamed  every  one  of  the 
bunch,  as  they  sprang  to  their  feet  and  sur- 
rounded her. 

"There  was  a  sweet  dear  little  monkey," 
cried  Phronsie  stumbling  up,  dreadfully  excited 
"  and  a  gre-at  big  man.  Take  me,  Mamsie," 
and  she  snuggled  up  to  Mother  Pepper's  wet 
gown. 

"Take  care,  child,"  cried  Mrs.  Pepper,  hungry 
to  get  her  baby  to  her  heart ;  "  mother's  all  wet. 
There,  there,  Polly,  Mr.  Atkins  let  me  take  the 


6O       STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

umbrella,  so  I  did  very  well  ;  I've  set  it  in  the 
Provision  Room  ;  that's  a  good  girl,"  as  Polly 
took  off  the  big  shawl  and  hung  it  up  to  dry. 

"  Now,  Ben  and  you  boys  run  and  put  some 
more  wood  in  the  stove,  do,"  cried  Polly;  "oh, 
I  do  so  wish  you  had  some  tea,  Mamsie  !  "  and 
her  face  clouded  over,  and  the  corners  of  her 
mouth  drooped. 

"  It's  better  than  tea,  to  see  all  you  children," 
cried  Mamsie  brightly.  But  nobody  dared  ask 
her  if  she  had  any  coats  and  sacks  to  sew;  for 
there  wasn't  any  big  bundle,  and  Polly  sighed 
and  looked  at  Ben. 


THE    LITTLE    TIN    SOLDIERS.  6l 


IV. 

THE    LITTLE    TIN    SOLDIERS. 

YOU  must  know,"  said  Polly,  "  that  they 
had  cake  every  day,  little  cunning  ones, 
and  Sundays  they  had  pink  on  top  of  'em." 

Nobody  spoke.  At  last  Joel  managed  to  ask, 
sitting  on  the  edge  of  his  chair,  "  On  every  single 
one  of  the  cakes,  Polly  Pepper  ?  " 

"Yes,"  said  Polly  decidedly;  "every  single 
one  of  'em  Joey." 

"Not  every  Sunday?"  asked  Joel  incredu- 
lously. 

"  Yes,  every  single  Sunday  ;  as  surely  as  Sun- 
day came  around,"  declared  Polly  in  her  most 
decisive  fashion.  "  They  didn't  miss  once." 

"Now,  I  know  you  aren't  telling  us  true 
things,"  cried  Joel  in  a  loud,  insistent  tone ; 
"'cause  no  one  ever  has  cake  every  day,  and 
pink  on  top  every  Sunday.  So  there,  Polly 
Pepper ! " 


62  STORIES    POI.LY    PEPPER    TOLD. 

"  Of  course  I'm  not  telling  you  true,  live 
things,"  retorted  Polly  in  her  gayest  tone  ;  "  I'm 
making  'em  up  out  of  my  head  as  I  go  along. 
And  a  person  could  have  cake  every  day  with 
pink  on  top  of  'em,  if  there  was  enough  to  go 
around." 

"  Oh  ! "  sighed  little  Davie,  clasping  his  hands 
with  a  long  sigh. 

Phronsie  never  took  her  eyes  from  Polly's 
face,  but  she  said  not  a  word. 

"  If  you  keep  interrupting  all  the  while,  Joe, 
Polly  can't  get  on  with  her  story,"  said  Ben, 
who  was  mending  Mother  Pepper's  washboard 
over  in  the  corner,  with  one  ear  out  for  the  nar- 
ration proceeding  under  such  difficulties. 

"  Well,  go  on,"  said  Joel  ungraciously,  his 
mouth  watering  for  the  cake  with  pink  on 
top ;  "  but  I  don't  b'lieve  Johnny  ever  had  all 
that,  every  day  and  Sunday." 

"Well,  you  must  believe  it,"  said  Polly,  shak- 
ing her  brown  head  at  him  ;  "or  I'm  not  going 
to  sit  here  telling  you  stories.  Joey  Pepper, 
you  must  act  as  if  you  believed  every  single 
word  I  say,  else  you  won't  be  polite." 

"Oh,  I'll  believe  it,"  exclaimed  Joel  in  alarm 
at  the  thought  of  Polly's  stories  ceasing.  "I 


THE   LITTLE    TIN    SOLDIERS.  63 

wish  I  had  some  of  the  cake  with  the  pink  on 
top,  now,  I  do.  Tell  on,  Polly." 

"  And  I,"  said  Phronsie  putting  out  a  little 
hand  ;  "  I  wish  I  had  some  too,  Polly,  I  do." 

"  Well,  we  haven't  any  of  us  got  any,"  said 


Ben  was  mending  Mother  Pepper's  washboard. 

Polly.  "But  I'll  tell  you  all  about  Johnny's. 
Sit  still,  Pet,  you  joggle  me  so  I  can't  sew 
straight ;  and  these  seams  must  be  done  before 
Mamsie  gets  home,  else  she'll  sit  up  to-night 
to  do  'em." 


64       STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

Polly  was  stitching  away  on  one  of  the  sacks 
that  Mrs.  Pepper  had  promised  Mr.  Atkins  she 
would  take  down  to  the  store  on  the  morrow, 
her  needle  rushing  in  and  out  briskly  ;  and  she 
glanced  up  at  the  old  clock.  "  Oh,  dear  me  ! 
if  I  don't  hurry,  I  sha'n't  get  to  the  time  when 
Johnny's  little  tin  soldiers  ran." 

"Oh — whoppity — la!"  screamed  Joel  in  a 
transport,  forgetting  how  his  mouth  watered 
for  the  pink-topped  cakes  ;  "  tell  about  the 
soldiers,  Polly;  tell  about  them." 

"Well,  I  can't  if  you  keep  interrupting 
me  all  the  time,  Joel,"  said  Polly;  "  I  was  just 
going  to,  when  you  stopped  me  about  the 
cakes." 

"That's  just  it,"  said  Ben  over  his  shoul- 
der. "  I  wouldn't  tell  him  a  single  thing,  if 
he  goes  on  like  that.  Take  my  advice,  Polly, 
and  don't  promise  him  another  story." 

But  Polly  was  already  launched  into  her 
gayest  and  best  narration  ;  and  Joel  slipped  off 
from  his  chair-edge  to  the  floor,  where  he 
snuggled  up  against  her  feet,  his  head  on  her 
knees,  Phronsie  longing  to  do  the  same  thing  ; 
but  remembering  what  Polly  had  said  about 
sewing  Mamsie's  seams,  she  sat  up  very 


THE    LITTLE    TIN    SOLDIERS.  65 

straight  in  her  chair,  and  folded  her  hands  in 
her  lap. 

"  Did  Johnny  have  tin  soldiers  too  ?  "  asked 
David,  in  an  awe-struck  tone. 

"  Of  course,  child/'  said  Polly,  with  a  little 
laugh.  "Why,  he  had  a  big  house  full  of 
just  everything" 

"  Make  Dave  stop  talking,"  said  Joel  irri- 
tably ;  "  we  can't  hear  anything.  Do  go  on 
about  the  soldiers,  Polly  ;  you  said  you 
would." 

"  Now,  the  first  one  of  you  children  that  says 
a  word,"  said  Polly  merrily,  "will  have  to  go 
out  into  the  Provision  Room  and  stay  till  I 
finish  this  story.  I  never  shall  get  through  at 
this  rate  ;  now  remember." 

"Good  for  you,  Polly."  Ben  bobbed  his  ap- 
proval, and  set  in  two  or  three  nails  with  smart 
little  taps  of  his  hammer. 

"  Well,  Johnny  made  up  his  mind  that  his 
tin  soldiers  had  too  easy  a  time,  because  there 
hadn't  been  anybody  to  fight,  you  know,  for 
one  thing,  Johnny  being  off  for  three  days 
fishing  with  the  Mullen  boy  who  lived  next 
door,  and  too  busy  to  get  up  a  battle  with  any 
one  ;  and  so  things  had  got  to  be  pretty  easy. 


66 


STORIES    POLLY    PEPPER    TOLD. 


And  the  tin  soldiers  were  just  as  lazy  as  could 
be  ;  and  some  of  them,  don't  you  think,  were 
lying  on  their  backs  on  the  closet  shelf  ;  and 
one  had  even  rolled  off,  and  was  having  a  nap 
down  in  the  corner  where  he  thought  nobody 
could  see  him." 

"  '  Wake  up  there  ! '  hallooed  Johnny,  fling- 
ing wide  the  closet  door  very  suddenly. 
'  There's  going  to  be  a  big  battle.  Atten- 
tion —  Get  ready  —  Form  ! '  ' 

"  Ugh  —  ugh  !  "  —  grunted  Joel,  starting  up. 
Then  he  clapped  his  two  brown  hands  over 
his  mouth  and  sat  down  again. 

Polly  ran  on,  with  an  approving  smile  at  him. 
".And  then  Johnny  saw  the  poor  little  fellow 
fast  asleep  in  the  corner."  Here  she  caught 
sight  of  Phronsie  opening  her  mouth  ;  and  she 
hastened  to  add,  "  And  he  picked  him  up  and 
set  him  straight.  '  Now,  fall  into  line,  my 
men  !  '  he  shouted  at  them  ;  and  before  any- 
body knew  just  how,  there  they  were,  every 


THE    LITTLE    TIN    SOLDIERS.  6/ 


single  little  tin  soldier  out  in  the  garden  un- 
der the  grape-vine  arbor  and  "  — 

"Ugh  —  ugh  —  ee  !"  cried  Joel  explosively. 
Then  he  ducked,  and  came  up  red  and  shining, 
his  lips  tightly  pressed  together. 

"  You're  such  a  good  boy,  Josey  !  "  exclaimed 
Polly.  "  Now,  you  see  how  perfectly  elegant 
it  is  to  tell  stories  without  having  to  stop 
every  minute  to  explain  things.  Well,  and 
there  were  Jack  Mullen's  wooden  soldiers  all 
standing  up  to  fight,  with  Jack  as  proud  and 
stiff  as  he  could  be,  back  of  them.  They 
weren't  as  nice  as  Johnny's,  because,  you  see, 
Jack  had  left  his  out  in  the  rain  the  night 
his  mother  gave  a  party  —  he  forgot  to  take 
'em  in  —  and  the  paint  was  all  washed  off,  and 
one  soldier  had  his  legs  chipped  off  a  bit 
where  Jack's  little  cousin  had  tried  his  new 
knife  on  it,  so  he  went  lame ;  and  another  one 
had  his  gun  smashed  where  it  got  stepped  on 
by  the  hired  man  when  Jack  dropped  it  in  the 


68       STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

barn  one  day.  But  they  were  brave  as  they  could 
be,  and  there  they  were  all  ranged  up  in  battle- 
array  when  Johnny  brought  out  his  soldiers. 

"  '  Hoh-hoh-hoh  ! '  cried  Johnny,  prancing 
along,  driving  his  soldiers  down  the  path  ;  their 
swords  and  guns  were  clanking,  and  they  looked 
so  smart  in  their  scarlet  coats  and  caps  with  the 
nodding  plumes.  '  My  men  can  beat  yours  any 
day,  Jack  Mullen  ! ' 

"'You'll  see,'  cried  Jack,  firing  up.  'Let's 
get  'em  to  work,  that's  all  I  say  ; '  and  he  stuck 
his  hands  in  his  pockets,  and  laughed  long  and 
loud. 

"Johnny  went  around  among  his  men,  and 
whispered  something  in  each  ear.  It  sounded 
like  '  cakes ; '  and  then  every  soldier  nodded 
real  pleased,  and  smacked  his  lips,  and  "- 

Here  there  was  tremendous  excitement  among 
the  children,  but  Polly  pretended  not  to  see  it  ; 
and  only  stopping  to  bite  off  her  thread,  she 
hurried  on,  "  And  suddenly  Johnny  screamed, 
'Wait  a  minute,'  and  off  he  dashed  and  ran 
into  the  kitchen.  'Jane — Jane!  I  must  have 
sixteen  —  no,  seventeen  cakes  to-day.  Make 
'em  big,  Jane,  and  put  pink  on  top,  same  as  my 
Sunday  ones.'  " 


THE    LITTLE    TIN    SOLDIERS.  69 

"  Gee  !  "  screamed  Joel.  But  Davie,  in  alarm 
lest  Joe  should  be  sent  off  to  the  Provision 
Room  and  just  in  the  most  splendid  part  of  the 
story,  jumped  off  from  his  chair,  and  flung  his 
arms  around  him  in  distress. 

"  '  Hurry  up  ! '  roared  Jack  after  him  ;  '  else 
I'll  begin  the  battle,  and  shoot  every  one  of 
your  men's  heads  off.  Bang  —  Bang!'"  Here 
Polly  put  down  the  big  sack  a  minute,  and  thrust 
up  an  imaginary  gun  to  her  shoulder  to  show 
exactly  how  Jack  Mullen  looked.  Ben  dropped 
the  washboard,  and  came  out  of  his  corner  to 
look  at  her. 

"  And  sure  enough,"  said  Polly,  with  kindling 
eyes,  "he  was  at  it  when  Johnny  got  back,  red 
and  breathless,  from  his  run  from  the  kitchen. 
So  of  course  his  tin  soldiers  had  a  perfectly 
awful  time  from  the  very  beginning.  Oh,  you 
can't  think,  children,  how  they  did  have  to  fight ! 
And  don't  you  believe  they  were  crowded  off 
inch  by  inch  down  that  perfectly  beautiful  gar- 
den-path under  the  grape-vine  arbor,  until  there 
was  only  one  little  corner  to  stand  on  for  a  place 
of  defence.  And  the  guns  banged,  and  the  can- 
non roared,  and  the  smoke  was  so  thick  you  could 
cut  it  with  a  knife,  and  in  and  through  it  all 


7O  STOKIKS    POLLY    PKI'I'EK    TOLD. 

were  the  scarlet  coats  and  caps  with  the  nod- 
ding plumes  of  the  little  tin  soldiers.  And 
every  one  of  'em  was  as  brave  as  could  be,  and 
saying  'cakes'  to  himself.  But  there  must 
come  an  end,  and  "  - 

Joel  was  just  going  to  scream  "No  —  no!  — 
don't  let  it  come  to  an  end,  Polly,"  when  he 
remembered  in  time  ;  and  she  ran  on  gayly, 
"  And  Johnny  was  hopping  up  and  down,  feel- 
ing dreadfully  but  trying  to  get  up  a  last  charge, 
and  Jack  was  screaming,  '  We've  beaten  you  — 
hurrah  for  my  men  !  '  when  a  dozen  boys 
jumped  over  the  fence,  and  dashed  right  into 
the  battle-field. 

"  '  The  circus-carts  are  coming  clown  this 
street,'  screamed  every  single  one  of  'em  ; 
'  come  on  ! ' 

"  The  tin  soldiers,  of  course,  supposed,  in  the 
din  of  battle  and  all  that  dreadful  smoke,  that  a 
terrible  charge  from  the  wooden  soldiers  had 
come,  set  on  by  those  perfectly  dreadful  boys  ; 
and  the  wooden  soldiers  thought  that  the  boys 
were  helping  the  tin  soldiers ;  so  each  side 
started  to  run  away  from  the  other  ;  and  the  tin 
soldiers  ran  the  fastest  because  they  were  thin- 
ner and  lighter,  so  they  didn't  find  out  their 


THE    LITTLE    TIN    SOLDIERS.  /I 

mistake  until  too  late,  and  they  all  fell  into  the 
fish-pond  at  the  bottom  of  the  garden.  Mean- 
while, after  Johnny  and  Jack  had  climbed  the 
fence  and  were  off  at  the  corner  of  the  street 
with  the  twelve  boys,  Jane  came  out  with  seven- 
teen little  cakes  with  pink  on  top,  and  not  find- 
ing any  one,  she  placed  the  tray  on  the  seat 
under  the  grape-vine.  And  the  black  cat,  the 
largest  one  at  Johnny's  house,  you  know,  the 
one  with  the  green  eyes,  came  stepping  softly 
up,  and  smelt  them  all  over.  Then  she  yowed 
for  the  neighbor's  gray  cat,  with  whom  she  was 
quite  sociable,  and  they  ate  them  all  up,  every 
crumb." 


STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 


V. 

CHRISTMAS    AT    THE    BIG    HOUSE. 

"  '\TOU  must  know,  children,"  said  Polly, 
A  most  impressively,  "  that  there  was  to 
be  a  Christmas  at  the  Big  House." 

"Christmas!"  Each  of  the  three  younger 
Peppers,  "  the  children,"  as  Polly  and  Ben 
called  them,  set  up  a  shout  at  the  magic  word. 
Ben  set  his  teeth  together  hard,  and  listened. 
No  one  of  them  had  ever  seen  a  Christmas,  or 
knew  in  the  least  what  it  was  like,  only  from 
what  Jasper  had  told  them.  And  now  Polly  was 
to  draw  from  her  imagination,  and  give  them  a 
story-Christmas.  No  wonder  at  the  babel  that 
ensued. 

"  The  Big  House,"  began  Polly,  "  had  ever 
and  ever  so  many  windows  and  doors  to  it,  and 
it  set  back  from  the  street  ;  and  there  was  a 
road  up  for  the  carriages,  and  another  for  folks 
to  walk  up  —  oh,  and  there  were  lots  of  children 


CHRISTMAS    AT   THE    BIG    HOUSE.  73 

that  belonged  to  the  house,  as  many  as  we  are," 
and  Polly  glanced  around  on  the  bunch  of  little 
Peppers.  "  Well,  you  know  the  Big  House  had 
always  had  a  Christmas  every  year  whenever  it 
came  around ;  they  had  hung  up  their  stockings 
and  had  trees,  just  like  what  Jasper  told  us  of  ; 
and  all  sorts  of  nice  things  they'd  tried  time 
and  again,  so  what  to  do  this  Christmas,  why, 
none  of  them  could  think.  At  last  Jenny,  she 
was  the  biggest  girl,  proposed  that  each  child 
should  write  out  what  he  or  she  wanted  to  do 
most  of  all,  and  not  let  any  one  else  see  what 
was  written,  but  fold  the  paper,  and  tuck  it  into 
Grandpapa's  white  hat  in  the  hall.  Grandpapa 
always  wore  a  tall  white  hat  whenever  he  went 
out,  and  when  he  was  at  home  the  hat  stood  on 
its  head  on  the  hall-table.  And  no  one  was 
ever  allowed  to  touch  that  hat.  So  the  children 
knew  it  would  be  a  perfectly  safe  place  to  drop 
the  papers  in  ;  and  then,  when  all  were  in,  even 
the  baby's,  because  Jenny  would  write  hers  for 
Mehitable,  that  was  the  baby's  name,  why 
Grandpapa  would  take  the  hat,  and  turn  out  all 
the  papers  and  read  them,  and  decide  what  they 
better  do  in  order  to  keep  Christmas.  Well, 
every  single  child  in  the  Big  House  had  written 


74 


STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 


on  his  paper,  and  put  it  carefully  into  Grand- 
papa's big  white  hat,  and  Grandpapa  had  taken 
out  all  the  papers  ;  the  children  had  seen  him  as 
they  peeked  out  of  the  door  into  the  hall,  and 
then  he  went  away  into  another  room  and  shut 
himself  in. 

"  '  Children,'  he  said,  as  at 
last,  after  what 
seemed  to  them 


a  perfect  age,  he 
opened  his  door  and 
came  out,  '  we  will 

Grandpapa  had  taken  out  all  the    papers, 

have    a    tree    this 

Christmas  ' ;  then  he  laughed,  and  held  up  seven 
papers  —  for  you  must  know  that  besides  the 
five  children  who  always  and  every  day  lived  at 
the  Big  House,  there  were  two  cousins,  a  girl 
and  a  boy,  who  were  visiting  there.  '  Every 


CHRISTMAS    AT    THE    BIG    HOUSE.  75 

single  paper,'  declared  Grandpapa,  as  soon  as 
he  could  speak,  had  "Tree"  written  across  it.' 
"  Well,  you  see  by  that,  the  children  were 
not  tired  of  Christmas  trees,  and  as  soon  as 
Grandpapa  told  them  that  they  were  to  have 
one,  they  were  quite  satisfied ;  although  Jenny 
did  say  that  if  she  had  known  every  one  else 
had  chosen  it,  she  would  have  written  some 
other  thing  on  her  paper.  But  that  didn't 
make  any  difference  now,  and  what  they  all 
had  to  do  was  to  get  ready  ;  and  the  next  day 
found  the  whole  Big  House  in  —  oh,  such  a 
bustle  !  You  would  think  they  never  had  got- 
ten a  tree  ready  for  Christmas  in  all  their  lives, 
there  was  such  a  fuss  made.  In  the  first  place, 
Grandpapa  had  to  go  out  and  speak  to  a  man 
to  send  up  into  the  country  and  get  him  a  big 
spruce-tree  of  good  shape,  not  long  and  spin- 
dling, but  stout  and  with  a  pointed  tip ;  for  the 
Big  House  was  in  the  city,  and  of  course  no  city 
trees  could  be  cut  down  without  folks  being  put 
into  jail  for  it.  And  then  everybody  had  to  sit 
down  and  count  up  the  money  they  had  to  spend  ; 
and  if  that  wasn't  enough,  they  had  to  go  to  the 
bank  and  draw  out  some  more  ;  that  is,  the  big 
folks  did.  And  as  the  children  were  emptying 


76       STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

their  banks  to  see  how  much  they  had,  Grand- 
papa came  up  behind  them,  and  dropped  a  gold 
dollar  into  each  one's  pile." 

It  was  impossible  for  the  Five  Little  Peppers 
to  keep  still  at  that  ;  but  after  they  were  quiet 
once  more,  Polly  occasioned  a  fresh  outburst  by 
saying,  "  And  then  Grandmamma  came  up  be- 
hind them,  and  she  dropped  a  gold  dollar  on 
each  pile  too." 

"Polly,"  cried  little  Davie,  quite  overcome, 
"  did  they  have  the  tree  too  ?  " 

"Yes,  child,"  said  Polly;  "and  dear  me,  lots 
of  other  things  too  —  a  big  Christmas  dinner 
for  one  thing." 

"  O  Polly  !  "  cried  Joel,  "  turkey  and  pud- 
ding?" 

"O  my,  yes — -and  candy,  and  raisins,  and 
everything,"  declared  Polly  ;  "  with  flowers  in 
the  middle  of  the  table." 

"And  roast  beef  and  fixings?"  Ben  for  the 
life  of  him  could  not  help  asking  this. 

"Yes  —  yes,"  answered  Polly.  "You  can't 
think  of  anything  that  those  children  didn't 
have  at  that  Christmas  dinner.  But  I  must 
tell  you  about  the  tree.  Well,  you  must  see  it 
took  a  great  while  to  get  everything  ready; 


CHRISTMAS    AT    THE    BIG    HOUSE.  // 

besides  the  things  that  Jenny  and  her  cousin 
Mary,  and  Jenny's  brother  Tom,  and  his  cousin 
Edward  were  making,  there  were  ever  so  many 
presents  to  buy ;  and  to  get  these,  all  the  chil- 
dren had  to  go  to  the  shops  with  Grandmamma 
and  Grandpapa  and  with  each  other,  and  then 
they  had  to  hide  them  in  all  the  out-of-the-way 
places  they  could,  so  that  no  one  would  find 
them  until  they  were  hanging  on  the  Christmas 
tree.  Oh,  there  was  just  everything  to  do; 
and  the  day  before  Christmas  they  all  went  to 
the  shops  for  the  last  things  that  had  teen 
forgotten  till  then.  It  had  snowed  the  night 
before ;  but  it  was  sunny  and  cheery  on  this 
afternoon,  and  the  walks  had  a  little  bit  of  snow, 
too  hard  to  clear  off  nicely,  and  just  enough  to 
slide  on,  when  the  procession  came  out  of  the 
Big  House,  and  turned  down  the  street  where 
the  shops  were.  Everybody  was  out  buying 
things.  They  had  little  bags  of  money  dan- 
gling by  their  sides,  only  some  held  their  purses 
in  their  hands,  and  kept  looking  at  them  to  be 
sure  they  were  there  —  but  oh,  the  shops  !  " 

"Tell  about  them,"  begged  all  the  other  Pep- 
pers together.  "  Tell  every  single  thing  that 
was  in  them,"  said  Joel. 


78  STORIES    POLLY    PEPPER    TOLD. 

"  Oh  !  I  can't  begin  to  tell  half  that  was  in 
those  shops,"  laughed  Polly  merrily.  "Mercy 
me,  Joey,  there  was  just  everything  there, — 
drums  and  tin  soldiers,  and  little  boxes  that  had 
music  shut  up  in  'em,  and  dolls  and  jews-harps, 
and  mittens  and  comforters,  and  trains  of  cars, 
and  candy  and  flowers,  and  birds  in  cages,  and 
oh,  boots  and  shoes  and  books  and  oh — just 
everything!"  Polly  brought  up  suddenly  with  a 
gasp,  being  quite  tired  out. 

"Go  on,"  urged  Joel  breathlessly. 

"She  can't  —  there's  too  many  things,"  said 
Ben.  "Never  mind  going  over  them  ;  just  tell 
what  the  folks  did,  Polly." 

"  Well,  you  see,  the  children  each  wanted 
Grandmamma  and  Grandpapa  to  help  them 
choose  things  that  all  the  others  were  not  to 
see,"  said  Polly  ;  "  and  Grandmamma  and  Grand- 
papa couldn't  go  in  seven  places  at  once ;  so  at 
last  one  of  them,  it  was  Tom,  thought  of  a  plan. 
It  was  to  rush  off  himself  and  choose  something, 
and  then  come  running  back  down  the  shop- 
length  ;  and  when  the  others  all  saw  him 
coming,  they  were  to  hurry  away  from  Grand- 
mamma and  Grandpapa,  and  let  him  whisper 
what  it  was  into  their  ears  so  nobody  else  heard, 


CHRISTMAS    AT    THE    BIG    HOUSE.  79 

and  '  Would  you  ? '  and  then  if  Grandmamma  and 
Grandpapa  said  '  Yes,'  away  Tom  would  rush 
and  buy  it,  whatever  it  was.  So  all  the  other 
children  tried  the  very  same  plan  ;  and  don't  you 
believe  when  they  asked  '  Would  you  ? '  Grand- 
mamma and  Grandpapa  always  said  'Yes,  my 
dear.'  They  did  every  single  time. 

"Well,  and  finally  they  came  out  of  the  last 
shop,  and  the  lamps  in  the  street  were  being 
lighted,  and  the  snow  under  their  feet  shone 
and  creaked  as  they  stepped,  and  every  one  of 
the  children  would  have  slidden,  if  their  arms 
had  not  been  full  of  bundles  clear  up  to  their 
chins.  And  Grandpapa  laughed,  and  said  they 
ought  to  have  brought  an  express  wagon  ;  and 
Grandmamma  said,  '  Oh,  no  !  she  wouldn't  have 
them  sent  home  if  she  could,  it  was  so  nice  to 
carry  bundles.'  And  everybody  they  met  had 
big  and  little  white  paper  parcels  ;  and  people 
knocked  into  each  other,  the  streets  were  so 
crowded  and  the  bundles  stuck  out  so  ;  and  so 
finally  they  got  home,  and  all  the 'bundles  were 
put  in  one  big  room  where  the  tree  was  ;  and 
the  door  was  locked,  and  Grandmamma  put  the 
key  in  her  black  silk  pocket. 

"Well,  in  the  middle  of  the  night  when  that 


80       STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

big  house  was  still  as  could  be,  all  the  children 
were  asleep  in  their  beds,  something  came  softly 
over  the  roof,  and  stopped  right  by  the  chimney. 
There  was  just  a  little  tinkle-tinkle,  like  the 
noise  Mrs.  Henderson's  cow  makes  when  she 
shakes  her  bell ;  and  then  a  paw-paw,  just  like 
one  of  Mr.  Tisbett's  horses  when  he  puts  his 
foot  down  quietly,  the  gray  one,  I  mean  ;  and 
somebody  said,  '  Hush,  there,  you'll  wake  up 
the  folks  ; '  and  before  anybody  could  think,  up 
springs  something,  with  a  big  pack  on  his  back, 
and  down  he  goes  right  through  the  chimney." 

"  I  know,  I  know!  "  screamed  Joel  and  David 
together  ;  "  it's  Santy  Claus  !  " 

"It's  Santy!"  hummed  Phronsie  dreadfully 
excited.  "Oh  !  I  want  to  see  him,  Polly,  I  do." 

"  Perhaps  you  will  sometime,  Phronsie,  if  you 
are  a  good  girl,"  Polly  made  haste  to  answer. 
"  But  never  mind  now,  Pet,  I  must  go  on  with 
the  story." 

"  Well,  it  was  Santa  Claus  who  hopped  down 
the  chimney  with  his  pack  on  his  back,  and  Mrs. 
Santa  Claus  sat  in  the  sleigh  and  held  the  reins. 
And  he  went  into  every  room,  and  looked  at 
each  sleeping  child  ;  and  he  could  tell  by  its 
face  whether  he  had  been  good  or  bad." 


CHRISTMAS    AT    THE    BIG    HOUSE.  8 1 

"  And  had  they  ?  "  cried  Joel  eagerly.  "Say, 
Polly,  oh,  make  them  be  good !  and  did  Santa 
Claus  give  them  a  lot  of  presents  ?  " 

"  Most  of  the  children  had  been  good,"  said 
Polly ;  "  but  there  was  one,  and  he  had  been 
bad,  very  bad  indeed.  He  had  eaten  up  his 
brother's  piece  of  cake  ;  and  then  he  had  cried 
and  screamed  for  more,  and  made  everybody 
unhappy.  And  Santa  Claus  stood  over  his 
bed  and  said,  'Poor  child.'  " 

"  And  didn't  he  get  any  presents  from  Santa 
Claus  ?  "  cried  Joel.  "  Do  let  him  have  a  little 
bit  of  a  present,  Polly ; "  and  he  stuck  his  fin- 
gers in  his  eyes,  trying  not  to  cry. 

"Why,  how  could  he  ?  "  cried  Polly,  "when 
he  had  been  bad,  Joey  ?  " 

"  P'raps  he  —  he  won't  —  won't  eat  up  his 
brother's  cake  any  more  ? "  mumbled  Joel,  in 
great  distress.  Then  he  broke  down,  and  laid 
his  head  in  Polly's  lap,  and  burst  out  crying. 

"Joel — Joel!"  cried  Polly,  shaking  his  arm/ 
"  it's  only  a  story.  Stop,  Joey,  you'll  make 
Phronsie  cry." 

"  But  I  want  —  want  that  boy  to  get  a  pres- 
ent from  Santa  Claus,"  sobbed  Joel,  unable  to 
be  comforted. 


82 


STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 


"  Do  fix  it  some  way,"  whispered  Ben  over 
Polly's  shoulder,  "  Phronsie  is  beginning  now." 
And  so  she  was.  She  had  gravely  insisted  on 
getting  into  Polly's  lap  ;  and  now  she  hid  he 


Joel  laid  his  head  in  Polly's  lap  and  burst  out  crying. 

face  on  Polly's  arm,  while  soft  little  sobs  shook 
her  figure. 

"  Dear  me  !  "  cried  Polly  aghast,  "  was  there 
ever  such  a  time  !     Children,  now  stop,  both  of 


CHRISTMAS    AT    THE    BIG    HOUSE.  83 

you.  I'll  tell  you  what  Santa  Claus  did.  He 
looked  at  Teddy  sleeping  there ;  and  he  said  to 
himself,  '  Now,  I'll  give  this  boy  something  to 
make  him  good,  even  if  he  is  bad  now.  And 
then,  if  he  keeps  on  being  bad,  why,  he  must  give 
it  back  to  me  next  Christmas  ;  and  besides,  I'll 
have  a  rod  for  him.'  So  he  slipped  a  toy  in 
Teddy's  stocking  and  "  — 

"  And  was  he  good  ?  "  cried  Joel,  thrusting 
his  head  up  quickly,  and  wiping  his  wet  face  on 
Polly's  gown. 

"  Yes  ;  oh,  you  can't  think  how  good  Teddy 
was  all  through  that  year !  "  said  Polly  happily. 
"  His  mother  called  him  '  Little  Comfort,'  and 
his  father  said  he  was  a  little  man." 

"That's  nice,"  said  Joel,  smiling  through  his 
tears. 

Phronsie,  when  she  saw  that  Joel  was  all 
right,  and  that  no  one  else  was  crying,  lifted 
up  her  head  from  Polly's  arm,  and  laughed 
gleefully.  So  on  Polly  ran  with  the  story. 

"  Well,  and  after  Santa  Claus  had  gone,  for 
you  know  he  had  so  many  other  children  to  go 
to  see,  and  it  was  pink  all  over  the  sky,  and  the 
children  were  out  of  bed;  why,  it  was  the  hard- 
est thing  to  keep  them  out  of  that  room  where 


84       STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

the  tree  was.  And  that  day,  oh,  it  was  the 
very  longest  in  all  the  days  of  the  year !  But 
at  last  it  was  night  ;  and  then  the  candles  on  the 
tree  were  all  lighted,  oh  !  I  guess  there  were 
two  hundred  of  them  ;  and  they  gleamed  out 
such  a  sparkling  brightness,  just  like  little 
stars,  and  " 

"  Two  hundred  candles,  Polly  !  "  cried  every 
one. 

"Yes,"  said  Polly;  "I  surely  believe  there 
were  two  hundred  candles,  all  lighted  and  wink- 
ing away  on  that  beautiful  tree  ;  and  somebody, 
the  children's  mother  I  believe,  played  on  the 
piano,  and  everybody  marched  in  line,  and  the 
big  door  was  thrown  open,  and  there,  with  its 
tip  almost  to  the  top  of  the  room,  was  the  most 
beautiful  tree  ;  and  every  branch  was  crowded 
with  presents,  and  everybody  got  what  was  most 
wanted,  and  there  were  flowers  everywhere.  Oh  ! 
and  a  little  bird  sang  —  they'd  put  the  cage  at 
the  bottom  of  the  tree,  because  it  was  too  heavy 
for  the  branches  ;  and  there  sat  Dicky-bird,  his 
black  eyes  as  big  as  could  be,  and  he  was 
stretching  his  throat  and  singing  at  the  top  of 
his  voice.  And  then  everybody  took  hold  of 
hands,  and  danced  around  and  around  that  most 


CHRISTMAS    AT    THE    BIG    HOUSE.  85 

beautiful  tree  a  whole  hour  I  guess,  and  Santa 
Claus  all  the  while  was  peeking  in  at  the  win- 
dow. You  see,  he  goes  around  the  next  night 
as  soon  as  it  gets  dark,  to  see  how  the  children 
like  his  presents.  O  children,"  and  Polly 
glanced  out  of  the  window,  "  if  here  doesn't 
come  Mrs.  Beebe!" 


86       STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 


VI. 


MR.  FATHER  KANGAROO  AND  THE  FAT  LITTLE 
BIRD. 

PHRONSIE  was  wailing  dismally,  sitting  up 
in  the  middle  of  the  old  bed.  Her  face 
pricked,  she  said  ;  and  she  was  rubbing  it  vigor- 
ously with  both  fat  little  hands,  and  then  cry- 
ing worse  than  ever. 

"  O  me  —  O  my  !  "  —  cried  Polly  ;  "  how  you 
look,  Phronsie  !  " 

"  I  want  my  Mamsie  !  "  cried  poor  Phronsie. 

But  Mamsie  couldn't  come.  She  was  sewing 
away  for  dear  life,  to  keep  the  wolf  from  the 
door.  So  Polly  curled  up  on  the  bed  beside 
Phronsie,  and  fed  her  mouthsful  of  the  toast, 
with  its  unwonted  richness  —  the  sweet  butter 
that  Mrs.  Henderson,  the  parson's  wife,  sent 
over  —  while  she  told  the  doings  of  all  the 
chickens  in  the  Hendersons'  hen-coop  ;  then 
gayly  launched  off  into  other  stories.  And  this 
is  one  of  the  stories  she  told  :  — 


MR.   KANGAROO    AND    THE    FAT    LITTLE    BIRD.     8/ 

"  You  must  know,"  began  Polly  briskly,  as 
Phronsie  leaned  back  against  the  pillow,  the 
last  morsel  of  toast  despatched,  "  that  the  chil- 
dren had  never  seen  a  kangaroo,  and — keep 


"  I  want  my  Mamsie  !  "  cried  poor  Phronsie. 

your  toes  in  bed  Phronsie;"  and  Polly  jumped 
off  the  bed,  and  gave  a  quick  pull  at  the  bed- 
clothes, "  oh,  dear  me  !  or  the  dreadful  old 
measles  will  catch  'em." 


88        STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

Phronsie  pulled  in  her  fat  little  toes  where 
she  had  stuck  them  out  from  the  edge  of  the 
patched  bed-quilt,  and  huddled  them  under  her 
in  terror.  "  They're  so  hot,  Polly,"  she  wailed. 
"Oh,  dear!  will  the  dreadful  things  catch  'em  ? 
Will  they,  Polly  ?  "  hugging  Polly  around  the 
neck. 

"  Not  if  you  keep  'em  in  bed,  child,"  said 
Polly,  patting  the  little  bunch  under  the  bed- 
quilt  reassuringly  ;  "  there,  stretch  'em  out, 
Phronsie  ;  there  won't  anything  hurt  'em  if  you 
keep  'em  in  bed." 

"  Won't  they,  Polly  ?  "  asked  Phronsie  fear- 
fully, still  huddling  up  in  a  heap. 

"  No,  no  !  Come  on,  Mister  Toes,"  sang  Polly 
gayly,  pulling  at  them.  "  Doctor  said  you  mustn't 
get  cold,  or  the  measles  would  run  in.  There, 
that's  all  right,"  as  Phronsie's  toes  came  down 
again  ;  "now  everything's  just  splendid,  and  I'll 
go  on  about  my  lovely  kangaroo.  He  "  — 

"  They're  so  hot,"  sighed  Phronsie,  wriggling 
all  her  toes;  "and  they  prick,  Polly — they 
do"- 

"Well,  we  can't  help  that,"  said  Polly  ;  "you 
see,  that's  the  measles.  And  I  suppose  the  kan- 
garoo had  prickly  toes  too,  sometimes,  Phronsie. 


MR.    KANGAROO    AND    THE    FAT    LITTLE    BIRD.    89 

Now  I'm  going  to  get  up  on  the  bed  again,  and 
hold  your  hand,  and  then  we'll  hear  all  about 
him."  So  Polly  hopped  up  beside  Phronsie,  and 
took  her  hot  little  hand  in  both  of  her  bigger 
ones,  and  began  again.  "  You  see  he  "  — 

"Please  don't  let  him  have  the — the"  — 
broke  in  Phronsie,  turning  her  flushed  face 
eagerly  toward  Polly's  on  the  pillow,  "don't 
Polly,"  she  begged. 

"  Have  the  what  ?  "  cried  Polly,  racking  her 
brains  to  think  what  she  could  do  with  her  kan- 
garoo. She  must  tell  Phronsie  a  good  story 
about  him.  "  Well,  I've  seen  the  picture  of 
him  in  the  minister's  book,  and  I  guess  I  can 
make  up  something  about  him  that  she'll  like. 
"  What  is  it  that  you  want  me  not  to  do  to 
him,  Phronsie  ?  "  she  asked. 

"Don't  let  him  have  — th  —  these  —  things  — 
like  mine  ?  "  pleaded  Phronsie,  the  tears  coming 
into  the  brown  eyes.  And  despite  all  her  efforts, 
she  wriggled  her  toes,  and  cried,  "  Oh,  it  pricks 
so,  Polly,"  burrowing  down  deep  in  the  old  bed, 
and  rubbing  her  chubby  face. 

"  Oh,  he  sha'n't  have  the  measles  ! "  cried 
Polly  ;  "  and  you  mustn't  do  so,  Phronsie,"  all 
in  one  breath.  And  pulling  Phronsie  up  against 


90       STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

the  pillow  again,  Polly  seized  both  of  the  little 
fat  hands  and  held  them  close.  "  There,  there, 
just  hear  all  about  my  lovely  kangaroo,  Phron- 
sie  ;  why,  he  ran  into  the  forest,  and  he  carried 
all  the  little  bits  of  kangarooses  in  a  bag  with 
him." 

"  Did  he  have  a  bag  ?  "  asked  Phronsie.  And 
she  let  her  hands  stay  quite  still  in  Polly's 
clasp,  and  the  two  tears  on  her  round  cheeks 
ran  down  on  the  old  quilt  unheeded. 

"  Yes,  indeed  ;  a  big  bag  that  hung  down  in 
front  of  him,  and  whenever  he  called,  all  his 
little  children  kangarooses  would  run  and  hop, 
and  jump  into  that  bag." 

"  Oh  !  "  screamed  Phronsie  delightedly. 

'•  Yes,  and  then  the  old  father  kangaroo  would 
peek  over  the  edge  of  the  bag  and  say,  "  Lie 
still,  my  children,  and  don't  kick  each  other; 
and  then  he "  — 

"  Did  he  tie  it?"  asked  Phronsie  anxiously, 
and  poking  up  her  head  to  peer  into  Polly's 
face.  "  Please  don't  let  him  tie  it  tight,  Polly." 

"  No  ;  he  couldn't  tie  it,"  said  Polly,  "^because 
you  see  there  were  no  strings  to  his  bag." 

"  Oh  ! "  said  Phronsie,  sinking  back  very 
much  relieved. 


MR.    KANGAROO    AND    THE    FAT    LITTLE    BIRD.    9! 

"He  gripped  the  edges  together  fast,  and 
—  but  the  little  kangarooses  had  cunning  little 
places  they  could  stick  their  noses  out,"  she 
hastened  to  add,  as  she  caught  sight  of  Phron- 
sie's  face.  "  Oh  !  they  liked  it  ever  so  much. 
And  then  the  old  father  kangaroo  would  run  — 
oh,  such  dreadful  big  steps  he  would  take, 
Phronsie,  you  can't  think,  as  big  as  all  across 
this  bed  in  one  hop  !  " 

Phronsie's  eyes  widened  delightedly,  and  she 
gave  a  long  sigh  of  content. 

"  Tell  me  some  more,"  she  begged. 

"  Well,  one  day  Mr.  Father  Kangaroo  was 
out  in  the  forest  getting  dinner.  He  had  short 
little  wee  feet  in  front,  and  he  couldn't  walk 
very  fast  you  see.  And  "  — 

"Where  was  the  mother  kan —  what  was  it, 
Polly?"  interrupted  Phronsie.  " Tell  me,  Polly, 
do." 

"  Kangaroo  ?  Oh,  she  was  in  the  house, 
working  away.  You  see,  with  so  many  chil- 
dren-kangarooses,  Phronsie,  there  was  lots  and 
lots  to  do,"  said  Polly,  growing  quite  desperate 
at  the  thought  of  Mother  Pepper  sewing  out 
there  in  the  old  kitchen,  and  all  the  dishes  not 
yet  washed,  and  everything  else  at  a  standstill. 


92       STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

"  Now,  you  lie  still,  and  perhaps  you'll  go  to 
sleep  while  I  tell  the  rest." 

"  I  can't  go  to  sleep,"  said  Phronsie,  putting 
up  her  lip  sorrowfully. 

"  Never  mind,"  said  Polly  merrily  ;  "don't  try. 
—  Oh,  where  was  I  ?  " 

"  You  said  Father  Kangaroo  went  off  to  get 
some  dinner,"  said  Phronsie,  concluding  not  to 
cry. 

"  Oh,  yes,  —  well,  you  see,  they  hadn't  any  of 
them  had  any  breakfast.  Just  think  of  that, 
Phronsie,  and  you've  had  toast  and  elegant 
butter;"  and  Polly's  mouth  watered,  for  she 
hadn't  tasted  any  of  the  little  pat  that  Mrs. 
Henderson  sent. 

"  Hadn't  they  ?  "  asked  Phronsie  sadly. 

"  No,  not  a  single  bite.  Well,  Father  Kan- 
garoo just  stalked  off,  that  is,  he  hopped  with 
great  big  hops,  for  he  knew  he  had  to  get  some 
dinner,  else  the  little  bits  of  kangarooses  would 
starve  to  death.  And  pretty  soon  he  came 
right  into  the  very  middle  of  the  forest ;  and 
there  under  the  trees,  in  the  midst  of  a  bram- 
blebush,  lay  a  little  bird,  —  Oh,  such  a  cun- 
ning little  bird,  you  can't  think,  Phronsie,  so 
fat  and  juicy  !  " 


MR.    KANGAROO    AND    THE    FAT    LITTLE    BIRD.     93 


"Oh,  don't  let  Mr.  Father  Kangaroo  catch 
the  little  bird,  Polly  ! "  screamed  Phronsie  in 
terror  ;  and  springing  up  she  seized  Polly's  neck 
with  both  hands,  and  burst  into  tears. 

"  Oh,  dear  me,  what  shall  I  do  ?  "  cried  Polly 
in  despair,  and  cuddling  her  up.  "  No,  he 

sha'n't  eat  the 
bird,  Phronsie; 
now,  stop  cry- 
ing this  min- 
ute, the  kanga- 
roo sha'n't  eat 
him,  I  say.  I'll 
make  the  little 
bird  go  home 


What's  the  matter  down  there?"  asked  Mr.  Kangaroo. 


with  him,  and  sing  to  the  children  kangarooses 
—  there  —  there  —  now,  says  I,  we'll  lie  down 
again." 

So  she  patted  and  tucked  Phronsie  in  again 
under  the  clothes,  and  wiped  her  face  dry  with 
the  old  soft  handkerchief  Mamsie  had  left  under 
the  pillow,  and  then  she  began  once  more. 


94       STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

"Deary  me,  where  was  I?  —  Oh,  I  know,  I 
was  going  to  have  the  little  bird  go  home  with 
Mr.  Father  Kangaroo." 

"Yes,"  said  Phronsie  happily;  "you  were 
going  to,  Polly." 

"  So  Mr.  Father  Kangaroo  looked  sharply  at 
the  fat  little  bird  lying  there  in  the  middle  of 
the  bramble-bush  ;  and  he  asked,  '  What's  the 
matter  down  there,  little  bird  ? ' 

"  And  the  little  bird  cocked  up  one  eye  at 
him  just  like  this,"  said  Polly,  suiting  the 
action  to  the  word. 

Phronsie  poked  up  her  yellow  head  to  see,  and 
smiled  gleefully. 

"And  the  little  bird  piped  out,  'O  Mr.  big 
Kangaroo-man,  I  can't  get  out.'  " 

"  Oh,  make  him  help  him,  Polly,"  cried  Phron- 
sie very  much  excited,  and  pulling  her  hands 
out  of  Polly's  to  clasp  them  together  tightly. 
"  Do,  Polly,  quick  !  " 

"  Yes  ;  indeed  I  will,  Pet.  So  Mr.  Father 
Kangaroo  leaned  over  the  bramble-bush,  and 
roared  in  a  big  voice,  '  Here,  I'll  hold  the  bram- 
bles away  with  my  paws,  and  you  can  jump  into 
my  bag.'  " 

"  Oh,   oh  ! "    screamed    Phronsie    in    delight. 


MR.    KANGAROO    AND    THE    FAT    LITTLE    BIRD.     95 

"  And  he  did,  and  up  jumped  the  little  fat  bird," 
said  Polly,  tossing  her  hands  out  with  a  whir ; 
"  and  in  he  came  flopping  oh,  so  quickly,  into 
the  big  bag  of  Mr.  Father  Kangaroo.  'Twas 
just  as  nice,  Phronsie,  oh,  you  can't  think!" 

"  'Twas  just  as  nice,"  cooed  Phronsie  happily  ; 
"  the  little  bird  in  the  big  bag.  Tell  some  more, 
Polly,  do." 

"  Well  then,  you  see,  the  big  Mr.  Father 
Kangaroo  didn't  know  what  to  do  with  the  little 
fat  bird  ;  so  he  said,  '  Now,  my  dear,  don't  you 
want  to  fly  out  of  my  bag  and  go  home  ? '  And 
the  little  fat  bird  huddled  down  into  the  darkest 
corner  of  the  bag  and  he  piped  out, '  Oh,  I  haven't 
any  home,  Mr.  Kangaroo.  A  great  cross  old 
squirrel  came  up  to  my  nest  this  morning,  and 
ate  up  all  my  brothers  and  sisters,  and  I  flew 
away  and  tumbled  into  the  bramble-bush.'  " 

"  Oh,  dear  !  "  cried  Phronsie  in  dismay. 

"  But  wasn't  it  good  that  Mr.  Father  Kanga- 
roo found  the  fat  little  bird  ? "  cried  Polly  in 
her  cheeriest  fashion. 

"Yes,"  said  Phronsie,  "it  was  good,  Polly." 

"  Well,  so  Mr.  Father  Kangaroo  said,  '  I'll 
take  you  to  my  home.  He  didn't  know  what 
in  all  the  world  he  should  do  ;  for  he  had  six  — 


96       STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

no,  seven  hungry  little  kangarooses,  and  not  a 
bit  to  give  them  for  dinner.  But  he  couldn't 
leave  the  poor  little  fat  bird  to  starve,  you 
know." 

"  He  was  a  good  Mr.  Father  Kan  —  what  is  it, 
Polly  ?  "  declared  Phronsie,  clasping  her  hands. 

"Kangaroo.  Yes,  wasn't  he  Phronsie?  So 
he  looked  down  into  the  bag,  and  he  said,  '  Now 
don't  you  cry,  little  bird,  and  you  shall  go  home 
with  me  where  the  cross  old  squirrels  cannot 
catch  you;'  for  he  thought  he  heard  the  little 
fat  bird  sobbing  down  in  the  dark  corner." 

"  And  was  he  ?  "  cried  Phronsie. 

"  Perhaps  so  — a  little  wee  bit.  But  he  didn't 
cry  any  more  ;  for  as  soon  as  he  heard  Mr.  Father 
Kangaroo  say  that,  he  chirped  out,  '  Thank  you, 
Mr.  Kangaroo-man,  and  I'll  sing  for  you  all  the 
day  long.'  " 

"  That  was  nice  in  the  little  bird,  wasn't  it, 
Polly?"  cried  Phronsie,  wiggling  her  toes  in  a 
satisfied  way. 

"  Yes,  indeed.  Well,  so  away  they  trudged 
— !  mean  Mr.  Father  Kangaroo. trudged,  and 
hopped,  and  skipped,  with  great  long  steps,  and 
pretty  soon  he  came  to  his  home.  And  the  lit- 
tle kangarooses  saw  him  coming ;  and  they  all 


MR.    KANGAROO    AND    THE    FAT    LITTLE    BIRD.    97 

ran  and  hopped  out  to  meet  him,  screaming,  '  O 
pappy  !  have  you  brought  us  our  dinner  ?" 

"Oh,  dear  !  "  said  Phronsie,  very  much  trou- 
bled ;  "  he  hadn't  any  dinner." 

"  But  just  think  what  a  dear  sweet  little  fat 
bird  he  had  brought  them,  who  was  going  to 
sing  all  day  long,  Phronsie  !  " 

"  Yes,"  said  Phronsie,  but  she  sighed.  "  Tell 
me  some  more,  Polly,  do." 

"  Well,  so  Mr.  Father  Kangaroo  didn't  say 
anything  about  dinner ;  for  he  thought  if  they 
saw  the  little  bird  first,  and  heard  him  sing, 
they  would  forget  all  about  that  they  were 
hungry." 

"And  did  they?"  asked  Phronsie. 

"  Yes,  indeed ;  they  never  thought  of  it 
again.  And  they  hopped  and  danced  all 
around  the  fat  little  bird  ;  and  he  told  them 
of  good  Father  Kangaroo,  who  had  saved  him 
when  he  got  caught  in  the  bramble-bush,  where 
he  fell  when  he  flew  away  from  the  cruel  squir- 
rel ;  and  then  he  sang  —  oh,  it  was  just  lovely  to 
hear  him  sing,  Phronsie."  Polly  lay  back  upon 
the  pillow  and  folded  her  hands,  lost  in  thought. 

"  Tell  me  some  more,  Polly,"  cried  Phronsie, 
pulling  her  sleeve. 


90        STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

"  Oh,  yes  —  well,  then,  you  see,  all  that  noise 
brought  Mother  Kangaroo  in  ;  and  she  just  held 
up  her  paws  in  astonishment.  And  she  didn't 
like  it  very  well ;  and  she  said,  '  What !  bring 
another  hungry  mouth  to  feed,  and  you  haven't 
any  dinner  for  us  ? '  and  Father  Kangaroo  sat 
clown  in  the  corner,  and  his  big  head  went  down 
on  his  breast,  and  he  sat  still  to  think." 

"Don't  let  Mother  Kangaroo  send  the  poor 
little  bird  away,  Polly.  Don't  let  her  do  it!" 
protested  Phronsie  in  distress. 

"  No,  I  won't,"  promised  Polly.  "  Well,  when 
Mother  Kangaroo  saw  Father  Kangaroo  sitting 
so  sad  and  still  over  in  the  corner,  she  hopped 
over  to  him,  and  put  both  her  paws  around  his 
neck,  and  she  kissed  his  furry  cheek,  'The  little 
bird  shall  stay,'  she  said,  'and  I'll  go  out  and 
get  some  dinner.'  And  all  the  little  children- 
Kangarooses  took  hold  of  paws,  and  danced 
around  the  fat  little  bird  in  delight." 

"Oh  —  oh!"  cried  Phronsie  in  delight. 

"  Mercy  me  !  "  exclaimed  Mrs.  Pepper,  putting 
hei  head  in  the  doorway,  "  I  thought  Phronsie 
was  worse.  Now,  that's  cosey  ;  "  and  she  beamed 
at  Polly  in  a  way  that  made  the  little  sunbeams 
sink  right  down  into  Polly's  heart. 


THE    MINCE-PIE    BOY    AND    THE    BEASTS:      99 


VII. 

THE    MINCE-PIE    BOY    AND    THE    BEASTS. 

"  'r  I  MSN'T  time  to  go  to  bed,"  grumbled  Joel ; 

A  «  and  you  and  Ben  are  going  to  whisper 
and  wink  your  eyes  as  soon  as  I  go." 

"We  sha'n't  have  to  whisper  when  you  are 
out  of  the  way,  Joe,"  said  Ben  ;  "  come,  hurry 
up  and  start."  "  Now,  Joey,  you  promised," 
said  Polly  reproachfully.  She  was  aching  to 
talk  over  all  the  splendid  plans  with  Ben  ;  and 
there  were  the  bright  bits  of  paper  left  after 
they  had  covered  the  nuts ;  and  just  this  very 
night  she  was  to  set  about  making  Phronsie's 
paper  doll,  and  Ben  was  to  begin  on  a  windmill 
for  Davie,  and  Mamsie  was  to  sit  down  at  the 
big  table  drawn  out  from  against  the  wall,  and 
make  Seraphina's  bonnet.  And  Christmas  was 
getting  so  near ! 

"  O  Joe  ! "  exclaimed  Polly  suddenly,  in  such 
a  tone  of  despair  that  Ben  said  sharply,  "  Go 


IOO  STORIES    POLLY    PEPPE-R    TOLD. 

along,  or  she'll  stop  telling  you  stories.  You 
won't  get  another  one  to-morrow  —  sir  !  " 

"  I'll  go,  —  I'll  go,"  cried  Joel,  clattering  over 
the  stairs  in  a  trice  —  "  I'm  going,  Polly — you'll 
tell  me  another  to-morrow,  won't  you  • — •  won't 
you,  Polly  ?  "  he  screamed  at  the  top. 

"Yes  indeed,"  cried  Polly  merrily,  running 
along  to  the  foot  of  the  stairs  leading  to  the 
loft.  "That's  a  good  boy,  Joey  ;  I'll  tell  you  a 
good  one  to-morrow." 

"It's  got  to  be  a  long  one,"  said  Joel;  "not 
such  a  little  squinchy  one  as  'twas  to-day.  Hoh  ! 
that  was  no  good." 

"  Hush  up  there,"  shouted  Ben  at  him,  from 
the  kitchen,  "or  you'll  wake  Dave  up.  Come 
on,  now,  Polly." 

So  Polly  ran  back  again  ;  and  the  two  pulled 
out  the  kitchen  table  ;  and  Mamsie  brought  her 
big  basket,  and  Seraphina's  bonnet  was  snipped 
out  of  the  piece  of  ribbon  so  long  waiting  for 
it ;  and  Polly  whisked  out  the  bits  of  bright 
paper  from  the  bureau-drawer  in  the  bed- 
room ;  and  Ben  got  out  his  big  jack-knife,  and 
commenced  to  whittle  bravely  ;  and  everything 
was  as  brisk  as  a  bee  and  as  cheery,  —  and  the 
tongues  flew  just  as  fast  as  the  fingers,  till  the 


THE    MINCE-PIE    BOY    ANl5    THE    BEASTS.       IOI 


The  two  pulled  out  the  kitchen  table. 


IO2      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

little  old  kitchen  was  alive  with  the  work  of 
getting  ready  for  Christmas. 

But  on  the  next  morning,  all  the  signs  of 
the  coming  festivity  tucked  carefully  away,  and 
the  every-day  work  done  up,  then  didn't  Polly 
just  have  to  spin  off  a  story  when  in  marched 
Joel  with  a  "  Come  on,  Dave,  Polly's  sewing  ; 
now  for  the  story  !  "  he  whooped,  and  threw 
himself  on  the  floor  at  her  feet. 

"  O  Joel  "  —  Polly  was  just  ready  to  cry  out, 
"  I  can't  think  of  a  thing."  And  then  she 
remembered  that  she  had  promised.  "  Dear 
me,  Joe,  what  do  you  want  ?  "  she  asked,  and 
making  her  needle  fly  faster  than  ever. 

"  Oh,  something  nice  —  about  having  mince- 
pie," —  Joel  smacked  his  lips,  "and  bears  and 
wolves  and  crocodiles.  Tell  a  good  one,  Polly  ; 
and  it's  got  to  be  long"  —  he  waved  his  arms 
as  far  as  he  could  —  "  long  as  that ;  now  begin." 

"  I'll  tell  about  a  mince-pie,"  said  Polly, 
wrinkling  her  brows;  "that's  the  first  thing 
you  asked  for  ;  and  "  — 

"  And  bears  and  wolves  and  crocodiles,"  said 
Joel  hastily  ;  "  I  want  all  those ;  you've  got  to, 
Polly,  'cause  I  go  to  bed  every  night,  and  you 
said  you  would." 


THE    MINCE-PIE    BOY    AND    THE    BEASTS.        IO3 

"  I  can't  get  all  those  things  into  one  story  " 
said  Polly. 

"  Hoh !  yes  you  can,"  contradicted  Joel ; 
"that's  just  as  easy.  Now  begin,  Polly." 

"  Well,  once  there  was  a  boy,"  said  Polly,  with 
a  flourish  of  her  needle  as  she  put  in  a  new 
thread  ;  "and  his  mother  had  to  hide  the  mince- 
pies  whenever  she  baked  any,  'cause  she  was 
afraid  to  leave  'em  round,  and  "  — 

"  Don't  tell  such  a  story,"  howled  Joel  in 
disgust ;  "  tell  something  nice,  Polly."  He 
winked  his  black  eyes  fast,  and  Polly  thought 
she  saw  something  shine  in  them  ;  and  then  he 
dug  his  fists  in  them,  and  hid  his  stubby  head 
on  her  lap  in  among  her  sewing. 

"  So  I  will,  Joey,"  she  cried,  dropping  her 
work  to  lean  over  and  drop  a  kiss  on  his  black 
hair.  And  then  it  all  came  to  her  what  to  say ; 
and  before  she  knew  it,  she  had  begun  again  on 
"The  Wonderful  Mince-Pie  Boy  and  the  Beasts." 
"  You  see,  it  was  long,  long  ago,"  ran  on 
Polly  in  her  gayest  fashion  ;  "  and  almost  any- 
thing could  have  happened  then  —  why,  Adol- 
phus  lived  ages  before  this  time  when  we  are 
living  in  Badgertown  ;  so  he  had  all  sorts  of 
funny  people  as  his  neighbors,  and  they  did 


1O4  STORIES    POLLY    PEPPER    TOLD. 

all  kinds  of  queer  things.  And  the  animals  all 
talked  just  like  boys  and  girls,  and  everybody 
understood  them.  And  it  was  just  the  stran- 
gest world,  you  can't  think  !  And  that's  the 
reason  that  the  story  is  just  as  it  is." 

"  Go  on,"  said  Joel  quite  himself  again,  and  his 
mouth  opened  in  an  expansive  smile.  "Come 
on,  Dave.  Gee-whickety  !  Polly's  going  to  tell 
an  elegant  buster  of  a  story." 

"Joel,  I  sha'n't  tell  a  single  thing  if  you  say 
such  dreadful  words,"  declared  Polly  sternly, 
as  little  David  came  in,  and  sat  down  on  the 
floor  by  Joel's  side. 

"I  won't,"  cried  Joel  in  alarm,  "say  it  again 
ever,  Polly." 

"Think  how  badly  Mamsie  would  feel  to  hear 
it,"  said  Polly  reprovingly.  "O  Joe!  how  can 
you  ?  "  Down  went  Joel's  head  on  her  lap,  — 

"I — won't  again  —  Poll}-,"  he  burst  out, 
trying  not  to  cry.  "O  Polly  !  I  won't  —  I  don't 
—  want  —  Mamsie  to  feel  bad  "  —  and  he  bur- 
rowed, deep  in  her  lap. 

"  He  won't,  Polly,"  said  little  David  anxiously, 
patting  Joel's  stubby  head  with  one  hand,  and 
with  the'other  pulling  Polly's  gown  —  "  I  most 
know  he  won't  say  any  more  dreadful  words." 


THE    MINCE-PIE    BOY    AND    THE    BEASTS.       IO5 

"See  that  you  don't  then,  Joe,"  said  Polly; 
"  and  both  of  you  boys  must  remember  that  it 
would  make  Mamsie  sick  to  hear  you  say  any 
such  things.  Well,  now  for  the  story,  —  "The 
Wonderful  Mince-Pie  Boy  and  the  Beasts." 

"Oh,  oh!"  cried  Davie  in  a  transport,  and 
clasping  his  hands.  Joel  sat  up  quite  straight, 
and  held  his  breath. 

"The  mince-pie  boy  lived  in  an  old  stone 
house,"  began  Polly,  "all  overgrown  with  vines. 
There  were  big  trees  that  sent  their  arms  clear 
across  the  top  of  his  house,  and  the  vines  ran 
all  over  them,  so  that  it  looked  for  all  the  world 
as  if  it  was  a  great  arbor.  Well,  and  just  a 
little  ways  off,  about  as  far  as  from  here  to 
Grandma  Bascom's,  was  a  gre — at  big  cave. 
And  that  was  all  grown  over  with  vines  too, 
and  funny  dangling  trees  that  looked  as  if  they 
were  upside  down. 

"  Oh  !  "  laughed  Joel,  "  how  funny  !  "  And 
"  How  funny  !  "  said  little  David. 

"Yes  ;  but  it  wasn't  half  so  funny,  as  it  was 
inside  of  the  house  and  the  cave,"  said  Polly, 
sewing  away  busily  ;  "  because  you  see  the  man 
who  was  Adolphus's  father  owned  all  the  wild 
beasts  that  were  in  the  cave.  And  as  he  had 


IO6      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

them  all  brought  out  of  the  cave,  and  up  to  the 
big  house  sometimes,  when  he  had  company, 
and  he  wanted  to  amuse  them,  why,  you  know 
everything  was  made  so  they  might  show  off, 
and  the  people  could  have  a  good  time." 

"Tell  about  it,"  cried  Joel,  crowding  up  to 
Polly's  work  so  closely  that  she  couldn't  see 
where  to  set  her  stitches.  "Take  care,  Joe," 
she  warned  ;  "  I  sewed  that  crooked.  Mr.  At- 
kins won't  give  Mamsie  any  more  sacks  to  do 
if  they're  done  badly.  And  I  want  to  learn  to 
sew  them  all  for  her."  And  Polly's  face  was 
very  sad  as  she  picked  out  the  poor  work. 

Joel  huddled  out  of  the  way  in  dismay. 
"  There,  that's  all  right  now,"  announced  Polly 
in  a  minute  ;  "  you  didn't  do  any  mischief,  Joe. 
Let  me  see,  where  was  I  ?  " 

"You  said  Adolphus's  father  had  all  the  wild 
beasts  brought  out  of  the  cave,  and  into  the 
house,  when  he  had  company,"  cried  Joel.  "  Oh, 
make  him  bring  'em  all  in  now,  Polly,  do  !  " 

"  So  he  shall,"  nodded  Polly.  "  You  see, 
boys,  Adolphus's  father  had  lots  and  lots  of  ani- 
mals in  his  cave  ;  but  he  liked  the  wolves  and 
the  bears  and  the  crocodiles  the  best." 

"  Oh,  dear  me  !  "  said  Davie  quite  overcome. 


THE    MINCE-PIE    BOY    AND    THE    BEASTS.        IO/ 

"  Now,  Adolphus  liked  the  best  thing  in  the 
world,  — yes,  the  very  best  thing  in  all  the  world, 
mince-pie.  And  he  had  it  for  breakfast,  dinner, 
and  supper." 

"  Whick  —  oh,  dear  me  ! "  exploded  Joel. 

"  Yes ;  all  the  beasts  liked  mince-pie  too, 
every  single  one  of  all  those  sixteen  hundred 
beasts." 

"  Were  there  sixteen  hundred  of  'em  ?"  cried 
little  David  with  flaming  cheeks,  and  pushing 
up  close  to  her  work. 

"Yes,"  said  Polly  recklessly.  "Adolphus's 
father  had  sixteen  hundred  wild  beasts  in  his 
cave,  and  " 

"  Make  it  some  more,"  cried  Joel.  "  Make 
him  have  eighteen  hundred,  Polly,  do." 

"  No,"  said  Polly  firmly;  "he  hadn't  a  single 
one  more  than  sixteen  hundred,  not  a  single 
one,  Joe." 

"  Well,  go  on,"  said  Joel. 

"  But  the  beasts  couldn't  get  any  mince-pie, 
ever,"  said  Polly,  hurrying  on. 

"  Why  ? "  broke  in  both  of  the  boys. 

"  Because  Adolphus's  mother  said  that  she 
couldn't  spend  the  time  to  bake  mince-pies  for 
so  many  beasts  and  beastesses,  because  you 


108      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

see,  all  the  animals  would  have  to  have  a  pie 
apiece.  And  Adolphus  used  to  go  out  into  the 
front  yard,  and  eat  his  pie  ;  and  all  the  creatures 
would  come  out  of  their  cave,  and  stand  in  their 
yard,  and  lick  their  chops,  and  wish  they  had 
some." 

"And  so  do  I  wish  I  had  some,  Polly,"  de- 
clared Joel,  licking  his  mouth.  "  Did  it  have 
plums  in,  Polly  ?  " 

"Gre  —  at  big  ones,"  declared  Polly,  "oh,  so 
rich  and  juicy  !  My  !  there  never  was  such  a 
pie  as  those  that  Adolphus  got  every  day,  —  one 
for  breakfast,  and  one  for  dinner,  and  one  for 
supper." 

"Oh,  dear  me!"  exclaimed  both  boys  again, 
unable  to  find  other  words. 

"Well,  one  day  there  was  a  great. stir  in  the 
big  house  under  the  vines,  and  everybody  far 
and  near  knew  that  Adolphus's  folks  were  going 
to  have  company.  And  that  very  same  night 
the  beasts  and  beastesses  got  together,  and 
held  a  meeting.  And  when  everybody  in  the 
big  house  was  sound  asleep,  and  nothing  was 
stirring  but  the  mice  scampering  up  and  down 
in  the  walls,  all  the  creatures  in  the  cave  were 
wide  awake,  and  talking  all  together. 


THE    MINCE-PIE    BOY    AND    THE    BEASTS.       IOQ 


" '  I'll  tell  you  what,'  said  a  big  white  polar 
bear  " — 

"  What's  a  polar  bear  ? "  interrupted  Joel, 
with  a  shout. 

ill); 


The  mince-pie  boy  and  the  beasts. 

"You  mustn't  interrupt,"  said  Polly;  "it's  a 
bear  that  lives  at  the  Poles." 

"  What  Poles  ?  Are  they  clothes-poles  ? " 
asked  Joel  persistently.  "  Say,  Polly  ;  and  did 
the  bear  help  to  hang  out  the  clothes  to  dry  ? " 

"No,  no  —  don't  ask  so  many  questions,  Joe; 


IIO      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

I  never  shall  get  through  if  you  do.  This  bear 
came  from  the  North  Pole,  where  it  is  dread- 
fully cold.  And  he  loved  mince-pie,  oh,  ter- 
ribly !  And  he  began,  '  Now,  fellow  bears 
and  bearesses,  and  wolves,  and  —  and  —  wolver- 
esses.'  " 

"And  crocodiles,"  said  Joel;  "don't  forget 
them." 

"No,  I  won't.  'And  crocodiles  and  croco  — 
crocodilesses  and  all  the  rest  of  you,'  because, 
you  see,  he  couldn't  mention  them  all  by  name, 
for  he  wouldn't  have  had  time  for  his  speech  if 
he  had;  'we  must  get  some  of  that  boy's 
mince-pie.  It  isn't  fair  for  him  to  have  so 
much,  and  we  to  have  none.  Now,  I  have  a 
plan  ;  and  if  you  will  all  do  just  as  I  say,  I  will 
get  you  some  mince-pie.'  So  they  all — the  dif- 
ferent beasts  and  beastesses  —  crowded  around 
the  white  polar  bear,  and  he  spoke  out  his  plan. 

" '  You  know  the  company  is  coming  to  the  big 
man's  house'  —  the  beasts  always  called  Adol- 
phus's  house  by  that  name  —  'and  we  shall  be 
sent  for  as  usual.  Now,  when  we  get  there,  let 
us  march  into  the  hall  as  if  we  were  going  to 
perform.  But  instead  of  that  I  shall  go  right 
straight  up  in  front  of  the  big  man  and  that 


THE    MINCE-PIE    BOY    AND    THE    BEASTS.       I  I  I 

dreadful  mince-pie  boy,  and  shall  roar  at  them : 
'I  will  eat  off  your  head  and  scrunch  your 
bones,  unless  you  give  me  some  mince-pie  this 
minute! ' " 

Polly  roared  it  out  so  loud,  and  looked  so 
very  dreadful,  that  Phronsie  came  running  in 
from  the  bedroom  where  she  had  been  putting 
on  her  red-topped  shoes  which  Mamsie  let  her 
do  sometimes,  but  not  step  in  them  for  fear  of 
hurting  them.  One  shoe  was  half  off,  and 
every  button  of  the  other  was  in  the  wrong  but- 
ton-hole. "O  Polly!"  she  cried  scuttling  over 
to  her  ;  "  what  was  that  dreadful  noise  ?  " 

"Now  you  see,  Joel,"  cried  Polly,  throwing 
down  her  work,  and  gathering  up  Phronsie  into 
her  lap,  "  I've  scared  her  most  to  death. 
'Tisn't  anything,  Phronsie  pet,  but  some  bears 
and  things  Joel  wanted  me  to  tell  of"  —  as 
Phronsie  hid  her  yellow  head  on  Polly's  arm. 

"  Polly  made  that  noise  with  her  own  mouth," 
said  Joel ;  "and  'twas  splendid,  Phron.  Make  it 
again,  Polly,  do." 

"No,  I  sha'n't,"  said  Polly.  "There,  there, 
Phronsie,  don't  be  scared;  it  was  I  made  it, 
and  not  a  truly  bear." 

"  If  it  was  you,  Polly,"  said  Phronsie,  lifting 


112 


STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 


"  O  Polly  !  "  she  cried  scuttling  over  to  her 


THE    MINCE-PIE    BOY    AND    THE    BEASTS.       113 

her  head,  "  and  not  a  truly  bear,  I  don't  mind. 
But  please  don't  make  it  again,  Polly." 

"  I  won't,  Pet,"  promised  Polly.  "  Dear  me  ! 
just  look  at  your  red-topped  shoes.  Take  'em 
off,  or  you'll  spoil  them  ;  Mamsie  doesn't  like 
you  to  walk  in  them,  you  know." 

"  I  want  to  go  back  to  the  bedroom,"  wailed 
Phronsie,  "  and  show  'em  to  Seraphina.  Oh, 
dear !  can't  I,  Polly  ?  I'll  go  on  the  tips  of  my 
toes." 

"  No,  I'll  carry  you,"  said  Polly,  preparing  to 
spring  up  ;  but  Joel  jumped  to  his  feet,  — 

"  Let  me,  Polly  ;  I'll  carry  her.  Come  on, 
Phron."  He  seized  her  and  staggered  off,  de- 
positing her  on  the  bedroom  floor,  close  to  Sera- 
phina lying  face  downward  where  she  had  been 
dropped  in  fright. 

"  Now  go  on,"  he  cried,  springing  back  to 
huddle  at  Polly's  feet. 

" '  I'll  scrunch  your  head  off,'  said  Polly  in  a 
stage  whisper.  "  I  can't  say  it  loud  as  I  did  be- 
fore, boys,  or  Phronsie'll  hear.  '  Give  me  the 
pantry  keys  ! ' 

"  At  hearing  these  dreadful  words,  the  croco- 
dile began  to  cry.  '  I'm  afraid,  I'm  afraid,'  he 
said.  But  one  of  the  wolves  ran  up  and  boxed 


114      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

his  ears.  '  Nobody  dares  to  say  he  is  afraid 
here,'  he  cried.  '  Yes,  we  are  going  to  have 
those  pantry  keys'  " 

It  was  impossible  to  describe  the  excitement 
that  now  seized  the  two  boys  as  they  huddled 
closer  and  closer  to  Polly,  as  she  hurried  on,  — 

"  And  when  all  the  beasts  and  beastesses  had 
promised  to  do  just  as  the  white  polar  bear 
should  tell  them,  he  roared  at  them  in  a  per- 
fectly dreadful  voice  :  '  You  must  all  say  with 
me,  "I'll  scrunch  your  heads  off  if  you  don't 
give  me  those  pantry  keys.' "  So  they  all  said 
it  after  him,  the  crocodile  weeping  great  tears 
that  ran  over  his  cheeks  as  he  repeated  the 
words.  And  then  every  animal  went  to  bed  ; 
and  the  next  night  the  company  came  to  the 
big  house  under  the  vines,  and  Adolphus's  father 
sent  for  all  the  beasts  and  beastesses." 

"And  did  they  scrunch  their  heads  off?" 
screamed  Joel. 

"Hush — you'll  scare  Phronsie  again,"  cried 
Polly. 

"  Did  they,  did  they  ? "  cried  Joel,  lowering 
his  voice  —  "oh,  make  them,  Polly,  do,  scrunch 
all  their  heads,  every  single  one  !  " 

"You  must  wait  and  see,"  said  Polly;  "and 


THE    MINCE-PIE    BOY    AND    THE    BEASTS.       115 

don't  interrupt,  or  I  never  will  get  a  chance  to 
tell  the  story.  Well,  all  the  animals  went  up 
to  Adolphus's  house,  two  by  two ;  and  there,  in 
the  long  hall,  sat  all  the  company  in  tall  chairs, 
and  Adolphus  in  the  middle.  And  the  first 
thing  that  anybody  knew,  before  one  of  them 
was  asked  to  perform  a  single  thing,  the  white 
cat  that  lived  up  at  the  big  house,  and  always 
slept  on  a  white  satin  cushion,  and  drank  from 
a  silver  bowl,  sprang  into  the  centre  of  the  hall, 
and  made  a  bow  and  a  curtsey.  She  had  a 
green  ribbon  embroidered  in  silver  tied  under 
her  chin,  and  she  looked  too  perfectly  splendid 
for  anything. 

" '  My  master  wishes  me  to  say,'  she  an- 
nounced, with  another  low  bow  down  to  the 
ground,  '  that  you  are  asked  over  to-night,  not 
to  show  off,  but  to  eat  mince-pies. —  Behold! 
And  there  right  at  her  elbow  were  twenty-five 
boys  dressed  in  green  and  scarlet,  and  all  with 
big  trays  full  of  mince-pies,  with  plums  sticking 
out  all  over  them,  and  "  — 

"  Ugh  !  "  grunted  Joel,  and  kicking  his  heels 
in  great  disgust.  "  Now  the  white  polar  bear 
can't  scrunch  those  people's  heads  off.  Hoh  ! 
that's  no  story,  Polly  Pepper ! " 


Il6      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 


VIII. 

THE    CUNNING    LITTLE    DUCK. 

E  little  duck  ran  away,"  announced 
Polly,  "to  begin  with,"  to  the  group 
around  her  chair. 

"Then  he  was  a  very  naughty  duck,"  said 
Phronsie,  shaking  her  yellow  head. 

"Tell  about  him!"  cried  Joel  with  a  gusto. 

"Yes,  I'm  going  to,"  said  Polly,  setting  her 
stitches  with  a  firm  hand.  "  But,  children,  you 
interrupt  so  much  that  it  makes  me  forget  all 
what  I'm  going  to  say,  when  I'm  telling 
stories." 

"  Oh,  we  won't ;  we  won't  !  "  they  all  prom- 
ised. "Do  begin,  Polly,  do." 

"Well,  once  upon  a  time,"  said  Polly,  with 
true  story-book  flourish,  "  no,  when  I  was  a 
little  girl,  years  ago,  that's  the  way  Grandma 
Bascom  begins  her  stories  ''  — 

"But  'twasn't  years  ago  when  you  were  a 
little  girl,  Polly,"  said  little  David  thoughtfully. 


THE    CUNNING    LITTLE    DUCK.  1 1/ 

"  Well,  'tis  in  a  play-story,"  said  Polly.  "  And 
all  my  stories  are  make-believe,  you  know. 
Now,  I'm  an  old  lady,  children  ;  and  I'm  going 
to  tell  you  about  my  little  duck  I  had,  oh,  ever 
so  many  years  ago  ! " 

The  little  bunch  of  Peppers  shouted  at  the 
idea  of  Polly's  being  an  old  lady  ;  and  Joel  got 
up  and  whirled  around,  clapping  his  fists  to- 
gether till  the  old  kitchen  rang  with  the  noise. 
"Put  on  a  big  cap,  Polly,"  he  screamed,  "just 
like  Grandma's  ! " 

So  Polly,  who  dearly  loved  to  dress  up  and 
play  things,  dropped  her  sewing,  and  ran  off 
into  the  bedroom.  "There  isn't  anything  I  can 
tie  on  that's  like  a  cap,"  she  said,  coming  back, 
"but  this;  wasn't  it  nice  Mamsie  had  it?"  It 
was  a  big  piece  of  light  brown  paper  that  had 
done  up  the  last  batch  of  sacks  brought  home 
from  the  store  for  Mrs.  Pepper  to  sew  up. 

"  Hoh,  that  isn't  white!"  cried  Joel  in  disdain, 
while  the  faces  of  the  others  fell. 

"Well,  we  must  play  it's  white,"  said  Polly. 
"I'm  going  to;  and  all  frilled  with  deep  lace, 
too." 

So  the  children  began  to  smile  with  satisfac- 
tion once  more.  If  Polly  could  play  it  was 


Il8      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

white  and  all  trimmed  with  beautiful  lace,  it 
was  all  right. 

"  Run  to  the  string-bag,  one  of  you  children," 
said  Polly,  crinkling  up  the  paper  on  her  head 
to  make  it  look  as  much  like  an  old  lady's  cap 
as  possible,  and  nearly  putting  out  one  eye 
with  the  corner  of  the  paper,  "  and  tie  it  fast 
while  I  hold  it  on." 

"I  will  —  I  will!"  cried  little  Davie,  spring- 
ing off. 

"No,  I  will;  I  can  get  it  twice  as  quick!" 
cried  Joe,  tumbling  after  him,  and  seizing  his 
jacket.  Thereupon  ensued  a  scuffle  as  to 
which  should  first  reach  the  string-bag  in  the 
Provision  Room.  Joel  did,  and  soon  came 
racing  back  with  a  very  red  face,  and  bearing 
it  triumphantly  aloft.  "  Here  'tis  !  —  I  got  it, 
Polly  ;  now  I'll  tie  you  up." 

Polly  looked  out  from  under  her  big  paper  — 
"  Go  and  hang  that  string-bag  right  up  again, 
Joey,"  she  said  slowly. 

"I  got  it,"  said  Joel  stoutly. 

"Go  and  hang  it  up,"  said  Polly. 

"I  —  I  —  got — it,"  said  Joel  faintly  —  "I 
sh'd  think  I  might  keep  it,  Polly,"  he  said  in 
an  injured  tone. 


THE    CUNNING    LITTLE    DUCK.  I  IQ 

"  Go  and  hang  it  up  this  minute,"  said  Polly, 
coming  entirely  out  from  under  her  big  paper 
cap  and  fixing  her  eyes  on  him.  When  Polly 


Joel  came  racing  back. 


looked  like  that,  it  always  made  them  think  of 
Mamsie  ;  so  Joel  turned  at  once,  and  went  slowly 
down  the  steps  to  the  Provision  Room,  dragging 
the  string-bag  after  him.  He  soon  came  back, 


I2O      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

twisting  his  small  hands,  and  trying  not  to  cry. 
"Now,  Davie,"  said  Polly  pleasantly,  "will  you 
go  and  get  me  the  string-bag  ?  " 

David  started  to  run  on  joyful  feet ;  but  see- 
ing Joel  moping  in  the  corner,  he  stopped  sud- 
denly, "  I'd  rather  Joe  went,"  he  said. 

"No,  I  want  you  to  go,"  said  Polly  firmly; 
"  and  if  you  don't  hurry,  I  shall  have  to  go  and 
get  it  myself,  and  you  wouldn't  want  me  to  do 
that,  I'm  sure." 

Thus  adjured,  David  ran  as  fast  as  his  feet 
could  carry  him,  and  soon  brought  the  string- 
bag  to  Polly. 

"Now  says  I,"  she  cried,  "somebody  must 
tie  my  old  cap  on,  and  I'm  going  to  ask  Joel  to 
do  that."  And  she  pulled  out  a  long  string. 
"  Come  on,  Joey." 

"I  —  didn't  —  mean  —  to,"  sobbed  Joel,  over 
in  his  corner.  "  Polly,  I  didn't." 

"  Well,  see  that  you  don't  run  and  scramble 
and  take  away  Davie's  things  again  when  he 
starts  first,"  said  Polly.  "  Come  on,  Joe,  I'm 
waiting." 

So  Joel  tumbled  out  of  his  corner,  wiping 
away  the  tears  on  the  back  of  his  little  red 
hand  ;  and  soon  Polly's  cap  was  tied  on  in  the 


THE    CUNNING    LITTLE    DUCK.  121 

most  approved  style,  amid  the  shouts  of  the 
children,  who  all  escorted  her  to  the  cracked 
looking-glass  over  the  bedroom  bureau,  when 
she  pronounced  it  "just  too  perfect  for  any- 
thing." 

"  Well,  now,"  said  Polly,  drawing  a  long  breath, 
and  racing  back  to  sit  down  and  pick  up  her 
sewing,  "  I  must  hurry  and  tell  about  my  cun- 
ning little  duck,  or  I  don't  know  what  I  shall 
do.  Now,  children,  you  know  I'm  an  old,  old 
lady,  and  "  — 

"  How  old  ?  "  demanded  Joel,  who  dearly 
loved  facts  and  figures. 

"Oh!  I  don't  know  —  most  a  hundred  T 
guess,"  said  Polly  ;  "  well  "  • 

"  Ho  —  Ho  !  Polly's  most  a  hundred,"  laughed 
Joel,  and  Davie  burst  out  laughing  too.  "  Polly's 
most  a  hundred,"  echoed  Phronsie  with  a  gurgle. 

"  Now,  see  here,  children,  I  shall  never  tell 
this  story  if  you  keep  interrupting  me  like 
that,"  said  Polly,  pushing  back  her  paper  cap 
that  settled  over  one  eye.  "  Dear  me,  I  didn't 
s'pose  it  was  such  trouble  to  pretend  to  be  old 
—  this  slides  all  over  my  head,  and  I  can't  see 
to  sew.  Well,  I  once  had  a  cunning  little  duck, 
when  I  was  a  little  girl  years  and  years  ago." 


122 


STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 


mother,"  looking  at 


"Was  he  as  big  as  that  ?"  asked  Phronsie, 
bringing  her  two  fat  little  hands  almost  together 
in  intense  excitement. 

"  Yes,"  said  Polly,  "  and  a  little  bigger. 
Well,  he  was  all  my  own,  you  know  ;  my  grand- 
mother gave  him  to  me." 

"  Did    you    have    a    grandmother  ? "    asked 
David.        "  I    thought    you    were    the    grand- 
the  big  cap  with  its 
nodding  border. 

"Well,  so  I  am,  but 
I  had  a  grandmother 
too  when  I  was  a  little 
girl.  Everybody  has 
a  grandmother  when 
they're  little." 

"Oh  !"  saidDavie. 
"  Well,  my  grandmother  gave  me  this  little 
duck.  Now,  don't  interrupt  again,"  said  Polly. 
"You  see,  he  was  so  little  when  he  was  born, 
that  I  s'posehe  got  lost  in  the  grass,  and  no  one 
saw  him  ;  and  then  the  cat  must  have  stepped 
him,  for  his  leg  was  bent,  and  "  • 

"What's  bent?"  demanded  Phronsie,  push- 
ing an  absorbed  little  face  forward. 

"  Oh  !  doubled  up  like  this,"  said  Joel,  suiting 


The  cunning 


THE    CUNNING    LITTLE    DUCK.  123 

the  action  to  the  word,  and  twisting  his  leg  into 
as  much  of  a  knot  as  was  possible. 

"Oh,  Polly!"  said  Phronsie  gravely,  "please 
don't  let  the  little  duck's  leg  be  like  Joel's." 

"Well,  you'll  see,  Phronsie,"  said  Polly  re- 
assuringly, "I'll  fix  the  little  duck's  leg  all 
right.  My  grandma  gave  him  to  me,  you  know. 
Well,  he  was  yellow  and  white,  a  cunning  little 
ball,  oh,  so  soft  and  puffy  ! " 

Phronsie  trembled  with  excitement,  and  she 
put  out  her  little  hands  as  if  she  had  the  duck 
between  them.  "  But  please  fix  his  leg,  Polly," 
she  breathed. 

"  Yes,  yes,  child,"  said  Polly  quickly.  "  Oh, 
dear  me !  I've  sewed  that  seam  wrong ;  now 
that  has  all  to  come  out." 

"  But  please  fix  that  little  duck's  leg  first, 
Polly,"  begged  Phronsie,  her  lip  quivering,  "  be- 
fore you  pick  out  those  wrong  stitches." 

"  Oh,  dear  me,  was  there  ever  such  a  peck  of 
trouble  ! "  cried  poor  Polly,  picking  frantically 
at  the  bad  stitches.  Then  her  old  paper  cap, 
with  its  deep  border,  slid  down  over  her  eyes, 
and  her  scissors  tumbled  on  the  floor. 

"  Look  at  Polly's  cap  !  Look  at  Polly's  cap  !  " 
screamed  Joel." 


124      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

"  It's  grandma,"  said  little  Davie,  who  dearly 
loved  to  carry  out  all  Polly's  make-believes, 
while  Phronsie  still  insisted  that  the  little  duck's 
leg  should  be  fixed  before  anything  else  was  done. 

In  the  midst  of  all  this  confusion  the  door 
opened  suddenly,  and  there  was  dear  old  Mrs. 
Beebe,  her  round  face  smiling  over  a  big  basket. 

"  Well,  well,  my  pretty  dears  !  "  she  exclaimed. 
"  Why,  what's  the  matter  ?  Polly  got  hurt  ?  Oh, 
you  poor  creeters  !  "  seeing  the  big  paper  flap- 
ping over  Polly's  brown  head,  and  all  the  chil- 
dren crowded  around  her  chair. 

"No'm,"  said  Polly,  twitching  off  her  big  cap. 
And  "  She's  playing  grandma,"  said  Joel  and 
David. 

"But  her  cunning  little  duck  has  hurt  his 
leg,"  cried  Phronsie,  with  clasped  hands  flying 
over  to  Mrs.  Beebe,  "  and  Polly  is  going  to  fix 
it  right  away." 

"Yes,"  said  Polly  at  sight  of  her  face.  "I 
must.  Boys,  go  and  tell  dear  Mrs.  Beebe  all 
about  it,  while  I  take  her  in  my  lap  and  fix 
that  duck's  leg."  So  Joel  and  David,  very 
important  at  the  piece  of  work  set  them,  ran 
over  and  poured  the  whole  recital  into  good 
Mrs.  Beebe's  ear,  how  Polly  was  playing  grand- 


THE    CUNNING    LITTLE    DUCK.  125 

mother,  and  they  hadn't  anything  to  make  a 
cap  of  but  an  old  piece  of  brown  paper  that 
came  around  the  sacks  from  the  store  that  Mrs. 
Pepper  brought  home  to  sew,  and  how  the  old 
thing  kept  tumbling  over  Polly's  nose,  so  that 
she  sewed  up  the  seam  wrong;  and  she  was 
trying  to  pick  it  out,  because,  you  see,  she  had 
to  get  it  done  before  Mamsie  got  home,  who 
had  gone  to  the  minister's  to  help  Mrs.  Hen- 
derson make  her  soft  soap ;  and  how  Phronsie 
almost  cried  because  Polly  said  the  little  duck's 
leg  was  bent  in  the  grass,  because  maybe  the 
cat  stepped  on  it ;  and  how  that  was  the  reason 
Polly  was  talking  to  her  now,  and  fixing  the  leg 
up.  And,  oh,  dear  me  !  all  this  and  much  more  ; 
good  Mrs.  Beebe  oh — ing  and  ah — ing  at  just 
the  right  times.  "  And  that's  all,"  announced 
little  David  at  last,  flushed  and  important. 

Joel  hung  his  head,  "No,  it  isn't,"  he  blurted 
out ;  "  I  was  bad." 

"  You  were  bad  ? "  echoed  Mrs.  Beebe.  "  Oh, 
no  !  I  guess  not,"  she  said  soothingly. 

"  Yes,  I  was,"  said  Joel  stoutly.  "  I  scuffled 
Davie,  and  got  the  string-bag  first." 

David  shifted  uneasily  from  one  foot  to  the 
other.  "  He  put  it  back,"  he  said. 


126  .STORIES    FOLLY    PEPPER    TOLD. 

"  Polly  made  me,"  said  Joel,  twisting  his 
mouth  not  to  cry,  and  with  an  eye  to  the  big 
basket,  which  was  not  for  naughty  boys.  "  Oh, 
dear  me  !  " 

Old  Mrs.  Beebe  cast  a  puzzled  glance  at  him, 
but  was  saved  the  necessity  of  replying  ;  for  old 
Mr.  Beebe  came  in  just  then,  rubbing  his  hands. 
"Well,  how  are  you  all,  my  pretty  dears?  I 
can't  stay  a  minute,  for  my  shop's  all  alone,  an' 
folks'll  be  knocking  on  the  door  an'  can't  get 
in.  Come,  Ma,  give  'em  the  things  in  the  basket, 
and  then  come  out  an'  get  in  the  wagon." 

Mrs.  Beebe  gave  a  sigh.  "  Dear  me,"  she 
said,  "  I  wish  I  could  set  awhile  ;  but  then, 
there's  the  shop."  So  she  got  out  of  her  chair, 
and  began  to  undo  the  basket.  And  Polly, 
with  Phronsie  radiant,  and  hanging  to  her  hand, 
came  running  up,  and  they  all  crowded  around 
the  good  woman.  And  old  Mr.  Beebe  laughed, 
and  shook  his  fat  sides,  and  rubbed  his  hands 
together  worse  than  ever.  And  at  last  all  the 
things  were  out  and  on  the  table  ready  to  sur- 
prise Mamsie  with  when  she  came  home. 

"  And  I  guess  if  one  of  you  will  feel  in 
my  pockets,"  he  said  at  last,  when  his  wife 
clapped  to  the  cover  of  the  empty  basket, 


THE    CUNNING    LITTLE    DUCK.  I2/ 

"p'raps  maybe,  now,  you'd  find  something  you'd 
like." 

"  Let  David,"  said  Joel,  swallowing  hard. 

"  No,  let  Phronsie,"  said  little  David. 

So  Phronsie  went  up  to  old  Mr.  Beebe,  who 
lifted  her  into  a  chair,  to  be  on  a  level  with  the 
pockets  in  his  great-coat,  and  oh,  oh  !  first  she 
drew  out  slowly  a  pink  stick,  and  then  a  great 
thick  white  one  of  peppermint  candy !  And 
then,  midst  a  babel  of  thanks  from  the  Five 
Little  Peppers,  and  one  or  two  kisses  from 
old  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Beebe,  away  the  big  empty 
basket  and  the  two  good  people  went  to  their 
wagon. 

"  I'm  sure,"  said  Polly  to  herself,  long  after 
they  had; danced  and  danced  around  the  table 
with  its  good  things,  "  none  of  them  care  for 
the  little  duck  now ;  so  I  can  fly  to  my  sewing, 
and  have  a  good  time  to  pick  it  out,  and  do 
it  right."  So  she  settled  herself  in  the'  old 
chair  in  the  corner,  the  children  in  great  ex- 
citement still  circling  around  the  gifts  which 
they  were  not  to  touch  till  Mamsie  got  home. 

"I  choose  that,"  said  Joel,  smacking  his  lips; 
"  that  big  fat  doughnut,  all  crisp  and  brown. 
O  whickets ! " 


128  STORIES    POLLY    PEPPER    TOLD. 

"  Joel,"  said  Polly  over  in  her  corner,  "  what 
did  you  say?  " 

Joel  hung  his  head.  "And  I  choose  that," 
said  Davie,  pointing  to  some  gingerbread,  dark 
and  moist,  while  he  carefully  licked  the  rem- 
nant of  pink  stick  in  his  hand,  for  Phronsie  had 
insisted  on  sharing  her  candy  with  them  all,  the 
minute  the  Beebes  had  gotten  into  their  green 
wagon,  "  what  do  you  choose,  Phronsie  ?  " 

"  I  like  this,"  said  Phronsie,  holding  up  a 
sticky  wad  of  pink  stick  in  her  fat  little  hand, 
and  smiling  with  a  very  much  smeared  face. 

"  Oh,  cleary  me  !  "  cried  Polly  at  sight  of  her. 
"Well,  I  s'pose  it's  no  use  to  wash  her  up  till 
it's  all  gone.  Well,  I  am  thankful  I  didn't  have 
to  tell  all  the  rest  about  that  dreadful  little 
duck." 


THE    OLD    TEA-KETTLE. 


IX. 

THE    OLD    TEA-KETTLE. 

THE  rain  dripped  most  dismally  on  the 
roof  of  the  Little  Brown  House.  It  had 
rained  just  so,  without  any  appearance  of  stop- 
ping, for  three  days,  and  Phronsie  held  a  sad 
little  face  against  the  window-pane. 

"  Won't  it  ever  stop,  Polly  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  Yes,  I  s'pose  so,"  said  Polly  dismally ; 
"though  I  don't  know  when.  Mamsie,  did 
you  ever  see  it  rain  so  long  ? " 

"Dear  me,  yes,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  looking 
up  from  her  stocking-mending  over  in  the 
corner,  "  plenty  of  times,  Polly.  If  folks  don't 
worry  over  the  weather  and  talk  about  it,  it's 
all  right.  Fly  at  your  baking,  child,  and  let 
the  rain  take  care  of  itself." 

"It's  so  dark,"  said  Polly  discontentedly, 
"  we  can't  see  anything,"  as  she  went  into  the 
buttery  for  the  flour. 


I3O      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 


"Dear  me,    yes,"   said   Mrs.    Pepper 


THE  OLD  TEA-KETTLE.          13! 

"  It's  so  dark,"  grumbled  Joel,  trying  to  make 
a  box  over  in  the  corner,  and  catching  her 
tone,  "can't  see  anything." 

Davie  sighed,  and  went  over  to  his  mother's 
corner,  and  stood  there  with  a  very  long  face. 

"There,  now  you  see,  Polly,"  said  Mrs.  Pep- 
per, as  Polly  came  back  with  the  flour-sieve  and 
the  bread-bowl,  and  set  them  on  the  kitchen 
table. 

Polly  looked  around  the  kitchen  with  a 
startled  air.  "  Oh,  I'm  awfully  sorry ! "  she 
cried,  a  wave  of  color  flying  up  to  her  brown 
hair,  "Mamsie,  I  truly  am."  Then  she  rushed 
over  to  Joel,  who  was  banging  petulantly  at  a 
refractory  nail,  "Look  out,  you'll  pound  your 
thumb,"  and  she  kneeled  down  beside  him. 

"Don't  care,"  said  Joel  crossly  ;" can't  see 
anything.  Mean  old  rain  spoils  everything." 

"  Joel !  "  —  it  was  Mother  Pepper  who  spoke, 
and  her  black  eyes  flashed  sternly, —  "that's 
wicked.  Don't  you  let  me  hear  you  say  such 
things  again." 

"  O  Mamsie  ! "  began  Polly. 

"  And  a  boy  who  talks  about  the  rain  in  such 
a  way,  is  not  only  wicked  but  foolish.  I  think 
he  had  better  go  into  the  Provision  Room,  and 


132      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

shut  the  door,  and  sit  down  and  think  by  him- 
self for  a  while." 

"O   Mamsie!"  exclaimed  Polly  imploringly. 

"Go  straight  along,  Joey,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper; 
"  and  when  you  feel  right  about  it,  you  may 
come  back." 

Joel  laid  down  his  clumsy  hammer,  and  his 
round  face  working  dreadfully,  he  stumbled  off, 
and  down  the  rickety  steps,  and  presently  they 
could  hear  him  shut  the  old  door  fast. 

"O  Mamsie  —  Mamsie!"  Polly  sprang  to 
her  feet,  and  rushed  tumultuously  across  the 
room,  and  threw  herself  at  Mrs.  Pepper's  feet. 
•'  It's  all  my  fault,"  she  sobbed,  burying  her  face 
in  the  blue-checked  apron —  "and  I  am  the  one 
who  ought  to  be  sent  into  the  Provision 
Room." 

"  You're  too  big  to  send  there,  Polly,"  said 
Mrs.  Pepper  sadly ;  "  why,  you're  ten  years 
old."  She  laid  down  her  mending,  and  her  toil- 
worn  hands  smoothed  the  brown  hair  gently. 

"  But  I  made  Joel  say  the  bad  things,"  cried 
Polly  gustily,  her  shoulders  shaking  with  her 
efforts  not  to  cry  aloud. 

Phronsie,  who  had  turned  in  her  chair  where 
she  had  been  looking  out  of  the  window,  at  the 


THE    OLD    TEA-KETTLE.  133 

unusual  disturbance  in  the  old  kitchen,  now  got 
down  very  gravely,  and  came  over  to  Mother 
Pepper's  corner. 

"What  is  the  matter  with  Polly  ?  "  she  asked 
with  wide,  disapproving  eyes. 

"  Mamsie  will  take  care  of  Polly,"  said  Mrs. 
Pepper. 

"  She's  sick,  I  guess,"  said  little  Davie  won- 
deringly. 

At  that  Phronsie  uttered  a  low  cry,  "  Oh, 
don't  let  my  Polly  be  sick  —  don't  let  her, 
Mamsie  !  "  then  she  screamed  in  dismay. 

"  Polly,"  said  Mother  Pepper,  putting  the 
stockings  into  the  big  mending-basket  with  a 
hasty  hand,  and  drawing  Phronsie  to  her  lap, 
"  now  I  guess  you'll  have  to  do  your  best,  my 
child,  to  set  matters  right. — There,  there, 
Phronsie,  stop  screaming,  — Polly's  all  well." 

Polly  felt  for  the  first  minute  as  if  she  could 
never  lift  her  head  and  speak  cheerily  to  the 
children.  Oh,  how  much  she  would  give  to  be 
Phronsie's  age,  and  be  cuddled  and  allowed  to 
have  her  cry  out !  But  Mamsie's  words  !  She 
swallowed  hard  the  terrible  lump  in  her  throat, 
wiped  off  the  tears,  and  said  brokenly,  "  I'm  all 
right,  —  there,  see,  Pet,"  and  put  up  her  head. 


134      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

When  Phronsie  saw  that  Polly  could  really 
move,  she  stopped  screaming  ;  and  Davie  began 
to  smile,  "  I  guess  she  ain't  sick." 

"  No,  indeed,"  said  Polly,  finding  it  easier  to 
control  herself  since  she  had  begun,  and  hop- 
ping to  her  feet ; "  I'm  going  back  to  my  baking," 
she  cried. 

"  So  do,"  cried  mother  Pepper  approvingly, 
with  a  little  smile  over  at  Polly,  that  ran  right 
down  into  the  sad  little  heart. 

"May  I  bake?"  cried  Phronsie,  the  last  tear 
rolling  off  by  itself  in  a.  lonely  fashion.  "  May 
I,  Polly,  may  I  ?"  and  she  scrambled  down  from 
her  mother's  lap,  and  ran  over  to  the  table. 

"  Yes,  indeed,"  cried  Polly,  delighted  at  the 
change  in  affairs. 

"  Then  I  shall,"  said  Davie  ;  "  at  least  when 
Joel  gets  out.  May  I  call  him,  Mamsie  ?  "  he 
begged. 

"  No,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  picking  up  the  stock- 
ing again,  and  attacking  the  biggest  hole  ;  "  Joel 
must  wait  till  he  knows  he's  right." 

"  Then,  I  don't  want  to  bake  yet,"  said  David 
with  a  sigh. 

Polly  flew  around  at  her  preparations  for 
baking,  making  a  great  clatter  with  the  things, 


THE    OLD    TEA-KETTLE.  135 

and  keeping  up  a  cheery  little  chat  with  Phron- 
sie.  But  all  the  while  her  heart  was  sore  over 
Joel  sitting  lonely  and  disconsolate  in  the  old 
Provision  Room.  It  seemed  as  if  she  could  not 
bear  it  another  minute  longer,  when  suddenly 
she  heard  the  door  open  slowly,  and  his  feet 
coming  over  the  rickety  steps.  Mrs.  Pepper 
mended  steadily  on,  and  did  not  turn  her  head. 
Polly  held  her  breath,  as  Joel,  without  a  glance 
for  any  one  else,  marched  straight  past  the  bak- 
ing-table, and  over  to  Mamsie's  side. 

"I'm  sorry  I  was  bad,  Mamsie,"  he  began. 
But  he  never  got  any  further,  for  Mother  Pepper 
had  him  in  her  arms,  and  there  he  was  cuddled 
to  his  heart's  content.  And  Polly  deserted  the 
baking-table,  leaving  Phronsie  to  work  her  own 
sweet  will  among  the  materials,  while  she  rushed 
over  and  dropped  a  kiss  on  Joel's  stubby  head, 
telling  him  it  was  she  who  was  so  naughty,  and 
she  never  was  going  to  do  it  again.  And  little 
David  clasped  his  hands,  and  beamed  at  them  all 
in  great  satisfaction. 

"  Now  you  had  better  see  what  Phronsie  is 
about,"  advised  Mrs.  Pepper  wisely. 

"  I  don't  care,"  cried  Polly  in  a  glad  reckless- 
ness, and  plunging  over  to  the  baking-table,  with 


136      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

both  boys  at  her  heels.  "  Oh,  my  goodness  me  ! 
what  have  you  been  doing,  Phronsie  ?  " 

"  Baking  a  cake,"  hummed  Phronsie,  in  a 
state  of  bliss.  She  had  upset  the  flour-pan  in 
trying  to  pull  it  toward  her ;  and  what  didn't  fly 
over  the  floor  was  on  her  face  and  pinafore, 
while  she  patted  the  yeast  in  the  cracked  cup 
with  her  spoon. 

"  Hoh  —  hoh  —  how  you  look  !  "  laughed  Joel 
and  David,  "just  like  the  old  ash-man,  with  that 
brown  flour  all  over  your  face." 

But  Phronsie  didn't  care  ;  so  while  Polly  shook 
off  the  flour,  and  cleaned  things  up,  taking  great 
care  to  get  the  yeast-cup  the  length  of  the  table 
away  from  the  little  fingers,  she  was  singing  all 
the  time,  "I'm  going  to  bake  a  cake  —  Polly 
said  so." 

At  last  the  bread  was  made,  and,  covered  with 
an  old  towel,  was  set  down  to  rise  by  the  stove ; 
Phronsie's  cake  was  set  in  her  own  little  tin 
patty-pan,  and  tucked  into  the  oven  ;  and  then  the 
three  children  stood  and  looked  at  each  other. 
It  was  still  dark,  the  rain  going  patter  —  patter 
—  patter  worse  than  ever  on  the  roof. 

"  Mamsie,  do  you  mind  if  I  tell  them  a  story  ?  " 
asked  Polly,  looking  at  them  all. 


THE    OLD    TEA-KETTLE.  ,137 

"No,  indeed,"  cried  Mrs.  Pepper  cheerily. 
"  Just  the  very  thing,  Polly.  I'm  glad  you 
thought  of  it.  I  sh'd  like  to  hear  it  too,  myself." 

"Would  you,  Mamsie  ? "  cried  Polly,  quite 
delighted. 

"Yes,  indeed.  Seems  as  if  my  needle  would 
go  in  and  out  faster  if  I  could  hear  something 
meanwhile,"  replied  Mother  Pepper. 

So  Polly,  feeling  quite  important  at  being 
about  to  tell  a  story  that  Mother  Pepper  was  to 
listen  to,  gathered  the  three  children  in  a  knot 
about  her  on  the  floor  ready  to  begin. 

"  I  wish  Ben  was  here,"  began  Joel. 

"  It's  good  Ben  has  wood  to  saw  at  Mr.  Blod- 
gett's,"  spoke  up  Mrs.  Pepper  quickly.  "  He's 
in  that  nice  tight  woodshed,  so  the  rain  won't 
hurt  him  :  and  just  think,  children,  of  the  money 
he'll  bring  home." 

Polly  couldn't  help  but  give  a  little  sigh. 
How  perfectly  lovely  it  would  be  if  she  weren't 
a  girl,  but  could  go  off  and  earn  money  just  like 
Ben  to  keep  the  little  brown  house  going !  But 
Mother  Pepper  didn't  hear  the  sigh,  it  was  such 
a  tiny  one,  as  Polly  saw  by  glancing  over  at  her. 
And  so  away  flew  the  story-teller  as  fast  as  she 
could,  on  her  entertainment. 


138.      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

"  Now,  children,"  began  Polly,  hoping  Mam- 
sie  would  like  the  story,  and  racking  her  brains 
to  make  it  up  as  she  went  along,  "  I'm  going  to 
tell  you  to-day  about  an  old  Tea-Kettle." 

"  Hoh  !  hoh  !  "  jeered  Joel,  knocking  his  heels 
together  ;  "  that  isn't  any  story." 

"That's  funny,"  laughed  little  David,  looking 
over  at  the  Pepper  tea-kettle  humming  away 
on  the  stove.  "  Was  it  like  ours,  Polly  ?  " 

"Yes,"  said  Polly,  "as  like  as  two  peas. 
Well,  this  Tea-Kettle  lived  in  a  house  where 
there  weren't  any  children,  only  an  old  woman 
and  a  cat." 

"  It's  Grandma  Bascom  she  means,"  shouted 
Joel,  very  much  disappointed.  "  Don't  tell  about 
any  one  we  know,  Polly  ;  we've  seen  her  old  tea- 
kettle lots  of  times,  and  "  - 

"And  I  sh'd  think  it  would  be  better  to  let 
Polly  tell  the  story  in  her  own  way,"  said  Mother 
Pepper,  "if  there  is  to  be  any  story." 

"  Oh,  she  may  —  she  may  !  "  cried  Joel,  casting 
an  alarmed  glance  over  his  shoulder  on  the 
comfortable  figure  in  the  old  chair,  mending 
away.  "Go  on,  Polly,  —  do  go  on." 

"Well,  it  isn't  Grandma  Bascom,"  said  Polly, 
"  this  old  woman  isn't.  My  old  woman  with 


THE    OLD    TEA-KETTLE.  139 

the  Tea-Kettle  and  the  cat  lived  on  the  edge  of 
a  wood  and  "  — 

"And  there  were  bears  and  hyenas  and 
dreadful  things  there,"  cried  Joel  delightedly. 
"I  know  now,  —  and  you're  going  to  have  'em 
come  out  nights  and  bite  her." 

"No,"  said  Polly,  "we've  had  so  many  bears 
lately,  you  don't  want  any  more,  Joe." 

"  Yes  I  do  too,"  contradicted  Joel  flatly  ;  "we 
can't  have  too  many  bears.  I  sh'd  think  you 
might  give  'em  to  us,  Polly,"  he  added  whee- 
dlingly. 

"Well,  there  aren't  any  in  this  story,"  de- 
clared Polly  firmly.  "  Wait  till  I  get  through  ; 
you'll  like  it,  I  guess." 

"  Yes  ;  wait  till  she  gets  through,"  echoed 
Davie.  "  Go  on,  Polly,  please." 

Phronsie  patted  her  pink  pinafore,  and  pulled 
it  into  shape  patiently.  Polly  hurried  on. 

"  Well,  this  old  woman  who  lived  on  the  edge 
of  the  wood  used  to  go  out  every  single  day, 
and  pick  up  pieces  of  branches  of  trees  to 
burn.  You  see,  she  didn't  have  any  children 
to  go  for  her.  And  the  cat  stayed  home  to 
mind  the  house,  and  there  was  nobody  to  talk 
to  but  the  old  Tea-Kettle." 


140      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

"Oh,  dear  me  !  "  said  David. 

"  Now,  the  old  Tea-Kettle  was  cross  some- 
times," said  Polly  ;  "  she  was  so  very  old." 

"  How  old  ?  "  interrupted  Joel. 

"Oh!  I  don't  know.  Fifty  years,  I  guess," 
said  Polly  at  a  venture. 

"  And  she  was  black  all  over,  oh  !  as  black  as 
she  could  be — blacker'n  anything  I  see  round 
here,"  said  Polly,  glancing  at  the  rusty  little 
shoes  stuck  out  before  her.  "  Well,  and  she 
was  tired  too,  besides  being  black  ;  because,  you 
see,  she  had  sung  and  hummed  and  buzzed 
every  single  day  for  all  that  long  time  just  in 
that  one  spot.  Oh  !  she  was  so  tired,  she  just 
wanted  to  roll  down  on  the  floor,  and  off  and 
away  to  see  the  world.  And  one  morning  the 
old  woman  put  on  her  big  black  cap  over  her 
white  one,  and  took  down  her  thick  stick  with 
a  knob  on  the  end  of  it. 

" '  Mind  the  house  now,'  she  said  to  the  cat, 
who  sat  by  the  fire.  And  off  she  went  to  the 
wood  to  get  her  branches  and  sticks. 

'•'  Suddenly  there  was  a  big  noise  just  like 
this,"' — and  Polly  gave  a  hiss  as  near  like  a 
bubbling-hot  tea-kettle  as  she  could  manage,  — 
"and  then  a  voice  said  'Hem.' 


THE    OLD    TEA-KETTLE. 


141 


"  '  Oh  !  that's  you,  Mrs.  Tea-Kettle,'  said  the 
cat,  without  turning  her  head. 

" '  Who  else  would  it  be  but  me  ? '  said  the  old 


"  Mind  the  house,  now,"  she  said  to  the  cat. 

Tea-Kettle  sharply ;  '  when  there's  not  a  soul 
comes  in  here  day  after  day.  Come,  you  cross 
thing,  why  don't  you  talk  ? '  for  the  cat  looked 
as  if  she  were  going  to  sleep  that  very  minute. 


142      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

"'  I  haven't  anything  to  talk  about,'  said  the 
cat  sleepily. 

"  '  Well,  I  have,'  snapped  the  Tea-Kettle  — 
'puff  —  puff,  —  and  I'm  very  angry  indeed. 
And  I'm  tired  of  staying  in  this  old  place  day 
after  day.  And  I  tell  you  what  I'm  going  to 
do.  I'm  going  to  jump  right  down,  and  go  off 
to  see  the  world.  Yes  I  am.' 

"'You  can't,'  said  the  cat,  still  not  turning 
her  head  ;  'for  you  haven't  any  legs.' 

"'As  if  that  was  any  matter,'  snorted  the 
old  Tea-Kettle.  Then  she  raised  her  lid,  and 
sent  out  angry  little  whiffs  of  steam,  so  that  the 
cat  moved  uneasily.  'I  don't  have  to  depend 
on  legs,  like  you  great  lazy  things.  I  can  roll 
just  as  good.'  With  that  she  gave  a  great 
lunge,  and  over  she  went  on  her  fat  side,  and 
off  with  a  bang  to  the  floor.  The  cat,  not 
knowing  which  way  she  might  come,  wisely 
sprang  for  the  old  table,  and  peered  at  her  over 
the  side.  Like  this,"  said  Polly,  hanging  over 
an  imaginary  table-edge. 

The  children  screamed  with  delight,  and 
Mamsie  set  a  whole  row  of  stitches  briskly  into 
place  while  she  smiled  contentedly  over  her 
needle.  "  '  Oh  you  bad,  naughty  thing  ! '  cried 


THE    OLD    TEA-KETTLE.  143 

the  cat ;  'Phif  — spit  —  meow  !  to  do  such  things 
and  run  away  while  the  mistress  is  gone.' 

"  '  I  can't  help  it,'  said  the  old  Tea-Kettle,  roll- 
ing busily  on  toward  the  door,  while  a  pool  of 
hot  water  trailed  off  into  little  streams  on  the 
floor.  'I'm  tired  to  death  sitting  in  a  hump, 
on  that  old  stove  day  in  and  day  out.  You  can 
go  out  and  see  the  world.  It's  all  very  well 
for  you  to  talk.' 

" '  I  have  to  mind  the  house,'  said  the  cat, 
sitting  up  stiffly  on  the  table,  her  tail  lashed 
around  her  body,  and  her  green  eyes  staring  at 
the  old  Tea-Kettle. 

"'Nonsense!'  The  Tea-Kettle  had  got 
through  purring,  because,  you  see,  there  wasn't 
any  steam  left  in  her;  and  now  she  began  to 
roll  along  more  slowly.  At  last  she  knocked 
up  against  the  door  with  a  bump. 

"  '  You  can't  get  out,'  exclaimed  the  cat,  '  any- 
way, for  you  don't  know  how  to  open  the  door.' 
And  she  laughed  softly  under  her  whiskers  to 
herself  sitting  there  on  the  table. 

"The  old  Tea-Kettle  lifted  its  long  nose 
angrily  in  the  air.  'Jump  down  this  minute,' 
she  cried,  '  and  open  it  for  me.  Come,  I'm  in 
a  hurry,  for  I'm  going  to  see  the  world.' 


144      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

"  '  I  sha'n't  open  the  door,'  declared  the  cat 
with  great  composure,"  said  Polly,  feeling  very 
glad  she  had  slipped  over  the  big  word  so  well ; 
"  '  so  there  ! '  and  she  lashed  her  tail  stiffer  than 
ever  around  her  legs. 

'  "The  old  Tea-Kettle  cried  and  whimpered 
and  begged,  but  it  was  no  use.  The  cat  sat 
up  like  a  wooden  cat,  and  just  stared  at  her. 
At  last  the  Tea-Kettle  rolled  over  on  her  side, 
and  laid  her  long  turned-up  nose  on  the  floor. 

"  '  I'm  afraid  she's  dead,'  said  the  cat  to  her- 
self. 'And'"  — 

"And  was  she  dead?"  asked  little  Davie ; 
"  was  she,  Polly  ?  " 

"  You'll  see,"  she  cried,  "  pretty  soon.  Well, 
so  the  cat  was  so  awfully  afraid  the  poor  old 
Tea-Kettle  was  dead,  that  she  stepped  down 
from  the  table,  and  went  and  bent  over  and 
looked  at  her.  And  no  sooner  had  she  touched 
her  with  her  paw  to  feel  and  be  sure  about 
it,  than  the  old  Tea-Kettle  hopped  up  as  quick 
as  a  wink ;  and  the  cat  flew  back,  and  then 
she  had  to  run,  oh,  so  dreadfully  fast  !  because 
the  Tea-Kettle  began  to  roll  at  her.  And 
round  and  round  the  room  they  went,  and  the 
Tea-Kettle  kept  always  between  the  table  and 


THE    OLD    TEA-KETTLE.  145 

the  cat,  so  she  couldn't  jump  on  that ;  arid  she 
couldn't  hop  on  the  stove  because  it  was  hot ;  so 
she  had  to  open  the  door.  And  before  she  could 
shut  it,  there  was  the  Tea-Kettle  close  behind 
her!" 

"And  did  she  get  away  ?  "  cried  Joel ;  "  clear 
off  to  see  the  world  ? " 

"  Yes,"  said  Polly ;  "  and  she  never  came 
back.  She  screamed  out  as  she  rolled  down 
the  long  hill  before  the  cottage  door,  '  Goo-d 
• — -by  —  o-old  —  o-o-ld  —  cat.'  " 

"  Oh,  dear,  dear !  "  said  both  boys.  And 
"  Go-o-d  —  by  —  ol-d  —  cat,"  sang  Phronsie. 

"And  did  she  ever  come  —  oh,  see  —  see!" 
screamed  Joel  looking  up,  and  nearly  upsetting 
David  as  he  jumped  clear  past  him,  "  blue  sky 
—  see  —  come  on,  Dave,  out-doors  !  " 


146  STORIES    POLLY    PEPPER    TOLD. 


X. 


THE    PINK    AND    WHITE    STICKS. 

""TT7ERE  they  as  nice  as  clear  Mrs.  Beebe's 

V  V  pink  and  white  sticks  ?  "  asked  Joel 
anxiously. 

"  And  dear  Mr.  Beebe's,"  added  Phronsie ; 
"  were  they,  Polly  ?  " 

"Yes  —  no  ;  that  is,  they  couldn't  be  quite  as 
nice,  Pet.  No  pink  and  white  sticks  could  be, 
you  know.  But  they  were  very  nice  indeed, 
and  they  all  lived  together  in  a  candy-jar." 

"Oh  —  oh!  Tell  about  it,  Polly,"  they  all 
begged. 

So  Polly  got  the  little  bunch  of  Peppers  to- 
gether in  "  the  breathing-spell,"  as  the  edge  of 
the  twilight  was  called,  when  it  was  too  soon 
to  light  a  candle,  because  mother  Pepper 
couldn't  afford  any  light  in  the  old  kitchen  ex- 
cept when  it  was  absolutely  necessary ;  and 
then  she  began : 


THE    PINK    AND    WHITE    STICKS.  14? 

"  Yes,  they  all  lived  together  in  the  big  candy- 
jar." 

"Where  was  it?"  cried  Joel  insistently,  at 
which  the  others  clamored  immediately  to  be 
told  the  same  thing. 

"In  the  window  of  the  little  shop,  just  like 
Mr.  Beebe's,  only  it  wasn't  Mr.  Beebe's,"  said 
Polly. 

"  And  was  my  dear,  sweet  Mrs.  Beebe  in 
there,  and  all  the  little  shoes  ? "  demanded 
Phronsie  excitedly. 

"  No,  no,  Pet ;  I  said  it  wasn't  Mr.  Beebe's 
shop,  so  of  course  Mrs.  Beebe  wasn't  there,  nor 
the  shoes,"  answered  Polly  ;  "  but  it  was  like 
Mr.  Beebe's." 

"  Did  it  have  a  green  door  ?  "  asked  Joel,  "and 
a  big  knocker  that  went  clang, —  clang  —  like 
this?"  and  he  jumped  up  and  sent  out  his  arm 
after  an  imaginary  brass  knocker  hanging  on  a 
big  green  door. 

"Yes,"  said  Polly.  "I  guess  my  shop-door 
had  a  big  knocker  on  it,  all  shiny  like  Mr. 
Beebe's." 

"Your  shop?  oh  !  is  it  your  shop?"  broke  in 
little  Davie  incredulously.  "  O  Polly  !  " 

"  Of  course  it's  my  shop,"  cried  Polly  gayly, 


148      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

"  'cause  I  make  it  up  out  of  my  head,  so  I  own 
all  the  things  in  it  too." 

"Oh!  give  me  some  of  the  candy  then," 
howled  Joel,  plunging  into  the  middle  of  the 
group.  "  I  want  some  right  away,  Polly." 

"  Why,  I'm  giving  you  some  now,"  said  Polly, 
laughing  at  his  face.  The  children  all  looked 
puzzled  enough. 

"  You  see,  you're  getting  some  of  the  pink 
and  white  sticks  in  the  story  ;  and  if  I  didn't 
make  it  up,  you  couldn't  have  any.  Now  you 
must  just  play  you're  eating  candy.  My,  isn't 
it  nice  !  "  Polly  held  up  long  imaginary  pink 
and  white  sticks,  and  took  a  good  bite  off  from 
one  of  them. 

Joel's  sharp  black  eyes  followed  her  closely. 
"  I'd  rather  have  the  real  sticks,"  he  said  slowly. 

"Of  course,"  said  Polly;  "but  if  you  can't 
have  real  ones,  it's  better  to  have  make-believe 
story  ones.  Well,  now  I'm  going  to  begin." 

"Yes,  go  on,"  said  Joel,  bringing  down  his 
gaze  as  Polly's  hands  fell  to  her  lap.  "  You 
said  they  were  in  the  big  candy-jar,  Polly;" 
smacking  his  lips. 

"  Yes  —  oh  !  and  it  stood  on  the  shelf  that  ran 
along  inside  the  window  ;  and  there  was  a  little 


THE    PINK   AND    WHITE    STICKS.  149 

bit  of  a  man  who  kept  the  shop,  and  he  had 
a  little  bit  of  a  wife  who  helped  him,  and  "  — 

"Why  ain't  they  big  as  Mr.  Beebe,  and  big 
as  Mrs.  Beebe  ?  "  cried  Joel,  putting  his  hands 
out  as  far  as  he  could  reach  in  front  of  him ; 
"I  like  'em  big.  Why  ain't  they,  Polly  ?" 

"  Because  they  aren't  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Beebe," 
said  Polly.  "Now,  if  you  are  going  to  inter- 
rupt every  minute,  I  can't  tell  the  story." 

"  I  wish  we  could  hear  about  those  pink  and 
white  sticks,"  said  little  Davie  patiently,  and 
drawing  a  long  sigh. 

"  Yes,  you  see  the  others  want  to  hear  about 
it,  Joel,"  said  Polly;  "and  it  keeps  us  all  back 
when  you  stop  me  so  much." 

"  I  want  the  pink  and  white  sticks,"  said 
Phronsie,  stretching  out  her  feet.  "  Please 
hurry,  Polly." 

So  Joel  clapped  one  hand  over  his  mouth  to 
keep  from  interrupting  Polly  again,  and  she  be- 
gan once  more. 

"  Yes ;  old  Mr.  Periwinkle  and  Mrs.  Peri- 
winkle were  little  and  dried  up,  just  like  two 
little  withered  nuts  ;  and  they  had  ever  so  many 
little  Periwinkleses,  and  so  they  had  to  work 
very  hard  to  keep  shoes  and  stockings  on  their 


150      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

feet,  and  to  get  them  enough  to  eat.  So  Mrs. 
Periwinkle  used  to  make  candy  and  doughnuts 
and"  - 

"  Oo  ! "  exploded  Joel,  forgetting  himself. 
Then  he  clapped  the  other  hand,  too,  upon  his 
mouth. 

"  And  then  Mrs.  Periwinkle  would  run  out 
into  the  shop,  and  say  to  Mr.  Periwinkle,  'Here's 
another  batch  of  candy,  my  dear  ; '  or  '  Look 
what  I've  brought  you,'  sliding  a  pan  of  dough- 
nuts on  the  counter  just  in  time  for  the  folks 
opening  the  green  door  and  coming  into  the 
shop  to  buy  things.  Well,  one  day  a  perfectly 
dreadful  thing  happened  !  "  Polly  drew  a  long 
breath,  and  gazed  at  her  audience. 

"  What  was  it  ? "  cried  little  Davie  breath- 
lessly. Phronsie  sat  quite  still  with  clasped 
hands,  and  wide  eyes  fixed  on  Polly's  face.  Joel 
was  cramming  his  fists  up  against  his  mouth  in 
great  distress. 

"Why,  the  pink  and  white  candy  sticks  were 
gone,  and  there  was  the  big  jar  all  tumbled  down 
on  its  side  !  "  said  Polly,  with  a  very  impressive 
air  ;  "  just  think  of  that,  children  !  " 

"  Oh,  dear  !  "  exclaimed  the  two  little  Peppers, 
while  Joel  nodded  his  stubbly  black  head. 


THE    PINK    AND    WHITE    STICKS.  151 

"  Yes,  they  were,"  said  Polly,  still  more  im- 
pressively ;  "  every  single  one  of  all  those  pink 
and  white  sticks." 

"  How  many  were  there  — ugh  !  "  cried  Joel, 
forgetting  himself.  Then  he  clapped  his  hands 
up  to  his  mouth  again. 

"Oh  !  I  don't  know  —  yes,  there  were  six  —  no, 
I  guess  eleven  of  those  pink  and  white  sticks," 
said  Polly  thoughtfully ;  "  six  white  ones  and 
five  pink  ones." 

"  I'd  rather  have  had  six  pink  ones,"  said 
little  Davie  reflectively. 

"Well,  I'll  change  them,"  said  Polly  accom- 
modatingly, "  and  let  the  white  ones  be  five. 
Yes,  that's  best  after  all,  —  there  were  six  pink 
ones,  children.  Well,  and  so  "  — 

"  I'd  rather  have  the  white  ones  be  six,"  cried 
Joel  in  a  roar,  and  dropping  his  fists ;  "  they're 
best,  any  way.  Mrs.  Beebe's  white  ones  were 
bigger'n  the  pink  ones,  and  lots  sweeter.  Let 
the  white  ones  be  six,  Polly,  do  ! " 

Thereupon  an  animated  discussion  began,  as 
to  which  should  be  six,  and  which  should  be 
five,  between  the  two  boys,  little  David  taking 
an  unusually  firm  stand,  as  he  insisted  on  the 
pink  ones.  So  at  last  Polly  broke  in  :  "  I'll  tell 


152 


STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 


you,  children,  what  we  will  do  ;  there  shall  be 
twelve  sticks,  six  pink  and  six  white  ones  ; 
now,  that's  fine." 

"Yes,  that's  fine,"  cried  Joel  and  David  to- 
gether. "  Well, 
go  on,  Polly." 

"  Now,  where 
do  you  suppose 
those  pink  and 
white  sticks  could 
have  gone  to?" 
cried  Polly,  clasp- 
ing her  h  a  n  d  s. 
"  Mr.  Periwinkle 
and  Mrs.  Peri- 
winkle hadn't 
sold  them  — what 
could  have  be- 
come of  them  ? " 
The  little  Pep- 
pers shook  their 
heads.  "  And  the 
little  Periwinkle* 
ses  hadn't  touched  them  —  oh,  no  indeed  !  " 
declared  Polly  in  a  tone  of  horror  —  "so  what 
could  really  have  become  of  them  ?  " 


She  crept  into   Polly's  lap,   and  put  her 
hand   up  on   her   neck. 


THE    PINK    AND    WHITE    STICKS.  153 

"  What  ?  "  It  was  Phronsie  who  asked  this  ; 
and  she  crept  into  Polly's  lap,  and  put  her  little 
hand  up  on  Polly's  neck. 

"Well,  nobody  knew,"  said  Polly,  stopping 
only  long  enough  to  give  Phronsie  a  hug  and 
ever  so  many  kisses.  "  Ancl  then,  what  do  you 
think,  children,  they  found  had  happened  to  the 
pink  and  white  sticks  ? " 

At  this  there  was  great  excitement,  the 
children  protesting  they  couldn't  guess,  and 
wouldn't  Polly  hurry  and  tell  them  ?  So  she 
dashed  along, — 

"  Well,  Mr.  Periwinkle  said  he  was  going  to 
sit  up  that  night  and  watch,  and  Mrs.  Peri- 
winkle said  she  was  going  to,  and  all  the  little 
Periwinkleses  said  they  were  going  to  do  the 
same  thing.  So  nobody  went  to  bed  at  all." 

"  Oh,  dear  me  !  "  said  David. 

"Didn't  the  littlest  little  Peri — what  is  it, 
Polly  ?  "  asked  Phronsie  in  a  troubled  way. 

"Periwinkleses,"  said  Polly. 

"  Yes,  didn't  the  very  littlest  get  into  the 
trundle-bed?"  asked  Phronsie. 

"  No,  not  even  the  littlest  of  the  Periwin- 
kleses," said  Polly.  "  She  was  the  baby ;  and 
she  sat  up  in  Mrs.  Periwinkle's  lap." 


154      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

11  Oh  !  "  said  Phronsie. 

"  Well,  along  about  ten  o'clock,  —  no,  I  guess 
it  was  about  the  middle  of  the  night,"  said 
Polly,  "all  the  Perivvinkleses  were  keeping  just 
as  still  as  could  be,  you  know  ;  and  there  they 
sat  on  their  chairs  and  crickets  with  their  eyes 
wide  open,  staring  at  that  big  jar  —  oh  !  I  forgot 
to  tell  you  that  Mr.  Periwinkle  and  Mrs.  Peri- 
winkle had  put  some  more  pink  and  white  sticks 
in  it,  so  as  to  see  what  would  happen  to  them, 
and  "  — 

"  Were  there  six  pink  and  six  white  ones  ?  " 
screamed  Joel,  before  the  others  could  say  a 
word. 

"Yes,  I  guess  there  were  just  exactly  so 
many,"  said  Polly  ;  "  and  there  they  stood  up, 
as  tall  and  splendid  in  the  jar." 

"  Oo  !  "     Joel  smacked  his  lips. 

"  Well,  along  in  the  middle  of  the  night,  — 
nobody  stirred,  but  all  the  eyes  were  staring  at 
those  pink  and  white  sticks,  when  suddenly 
there  was  a  little  wee,  faint  noise." 

Phronsie  snuggled  up  closer  to  Polly. 

"  It  came  from  under  the  counter  ;  and  pretty 
soon  they  all  heard  a  faint  voice  say,  '  Is  it  time 
to  come  out  and  do  it  ? '  ' 


THE    PINK    AND    WHITE    STICKS.  1 55 

" '  Yes,'  said  another  voice ;  '  the  clock  has 
just  struck  twelve,  and  all  the  big  Periwinkles 
and  the  little  Periwinkleses  are  asleep. '  " 

"But  they  ain't,  Polly,"  broke  in  Phronsie, 
suddenly  sitting  straight  in  Polly's  lap. 

"  I  know,  Pet ;  but  these  little  things  with  the 
voices  under  the  counter  thought  so,  you  see. 
And  now  I'm  going  to  tell  you  all  about  it. 
Well,  so  out  they  crept  —  and  they  crept  —  and 
they  crept "  — 

Joel  and  David  huddled  up  as  close  as  they 
could  get  to  Polly,  till  they  were  almost  in  her 
lap  —  "And  there,  in  the  middle  of  the  floor, 
were  two  little  brown  mice  !  " 

Phronsie  clapped  her  hands  in  glee. 

"  I'd  rather  have  had  a  bear,"  said  Joel,  falling 
back  disappointed. 

"I  hadn't,"  said  David;  "go  on,  Polly,  do." 

"And  those  two  little  brown  mice  didn't 
seem  to  see  Mr.  Periwinkle  and  Mrs.  Periwinkle 
and  all  the  little  Periwinkleses  sitting  round  on 
their  chairs  and  crickets,  but  they  just  danced 
off  towards  the  big  jar  in  the  shop-window." 

"O  Polly!  are  they  going  to  take  more  pink 
and  white  sticks  ?  "  cried  Phronsie,  coming  out 
of  her  glee,  and  looking  very  sober. 


156      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

"  You'll  see,  Pet.  Well,  and  in  a  minute  out 
jumped  from  their  hole  under  the  counter  Father 
and  Mother  Mice,  oh  !  just  as  big  as  you  please, 
and  just  as  smart;  and  they  said,  'Wait,  my 
children,  you  can't  move  the  jar,  you're  too  lit- 
tle ; '  and  with  one  spring  apiece  they  were  up 
on  the  shelf ;  and  then  they  ran  up  on  the  top 
of  the  jar,  and  tumbled  down  inside  among  the 
pink  and  white  sticks." 

"  Oh,  oh  !  "  cried  the  little  Peppers. 

"  Yes  ;  and  '  Stand  away  there,  my  children,' 
came  in  very  faint  tones  from  the  jar,  'or  you'll 
be  killed  ; '  and  one  of  the  great  big  mice  —  it  was 
Mr.  Father  Brown  Mouse  —  stood  on  the  very 
tip  most  top  of  the  jar,  and  let  his  tail  dangle 
over. 

"  '  Now  run  clown,  my  dear,'  he  said  to  his  wife, 
Mrs.  Mother  Mouse,  '  and  stand  on  the  ground,' 
—  he  called  the  shelf  the  ground,  you  know, — 
'  and  pull  my  tail  as  hard  as  you  did  last  night,  you 
know  ;  then  you  must  fly,  just  as  you  did  last 
night  too,  when  you  see  the  jar  coming,  or  you 
will  be  killed.'  So  Mrs.  Mother  Mouse  promised 
she  would  do  it  all  just  as  he  told  her,  and  she 
did.  And  over  came  the  jar  on  its  side  on  the 
shelf  !  " 


THE    PINK    AND    WHITE    STICKS. 


157 


"  Oh,  dear  me  !  "  exclaimed  the  little  Peppers. 
"  Then  in  rushed  the  Q     two  little 

brown  mice,  and  /^^  after  them 

pell-mell  the 
two  big  brown 
mice,  to  drag 
out  the  pink  and  white 
sticks.  But  Mr.  Periwinkle 
hopped  up,  and  so  did  Mrs. 
Periwinkle,  and  all  the  little 
Periwinkleses,  and  he  said, 
'No,  sir,  and  No,  ma'am, 
and  no,  you  little  Mousie- 
kins,  you  don't  take  my  pink 
and  white  sticks,  and  '  " — 
"  O  Polly  !  "  cried  Phron- 
sie,  grasping  Polly's 
arm,  "  please  do  let 
the  poor,  sweet  lit- 
tle brown  mousies 
have  the  pink 
and  white  sticks. 
Please,  Polly!"  she 
begged,  dreadfully  ex- 
cited. 

"  Hoh,      hoh  !      Why,  The  pink  and  white  sticks. 


158      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

they  were  Mr.  Periwinkle's  pink  and  white 
sticks,"  cried  Joel.  "O  Polly!  I  hope  he  took 
a  big  stick  and  whacked  'em." 

"  Oh,  no,  —  no!"  cried  Phronsie,  the  tears 
beginning  to  come  into  her  brown  eyes  ;  "  poor 
little  brown  mousies.  Please,  Polly  don't  let 
him  hurt  them." 

"  Well,  he  sh'an't  hurt  them,"  said  Polly,  re- 
lenting. Davie  twisted  about  very  uncomfort- 
ably, longing  for  Polly  to  make  the  naughty 
little  brown  mice  give  back  Mr.  Periwinkle's  pink 
and  white  sticks  for  Mrs.  Periwinkle  and  the 
little  Periwinkleses.  But  he  couldn't  go  against 
Phronsie ;  so  he  swallowed  his  disappointment, 
and  said,  "Do  let  the  little  brown  mice  go, 
Polly." 

"  Well,  I  will,"  said  Polly,  amid  howls  of  dis- 
approval by  Joel.  "Well,  when  Mr.  Periwinkle 
said  that,  out  jumped  Mr.  Father  Brown  Mouse, 
and  Mrs.  Mother  Brown  Mouse,  and  the  two 
little  brown  mice,  and  each  had  a  pink  or  a 
white  stick  in  his  mouth,  and  away  they  ran  for 
their  hole  under  the  counter." 

Phronsie  leaned  back  in  Polly's  lap  quite  sat- 
isfied. 

"Was  it   a  white  stick   Mr.    Father  Brown 


THE    PINK    AND    WHITE    STICKS.  I  $9 

Mouse  had  in  his  mouth  ?"  asked  Joel,  smother- 
ing his  disappointment  as  best  he  could. 

"Yes,  he  had  the  white  one,"  said  Polly, 
smiling  at  him. 

"  Well,  Mrs.  Mother  Brown  Mouse  got  the 
best  anyway,"  said  Davie ;  "  she  got  the  pink 
one." 

"  Hulloa  !  "  cried  Ben  rushing  in,  his  face  all 
aglow.  "  Well,  I  declare,  if  you  are  not  all  up 
in  a  bunch  in  this  dark  corner.  Aren't  you 
going  to  light  a  candle  ?  " 

Phronsie  jumped  out  of  Polly's  lap,  where  she 
was  nestling  like  a  little  bird,  and  rushed  tumul- 
tuously  up  to  him.  "  O  Bensie  !  "  she  screamed, 
clasping  her  hands  ;  "we've  had  pink  and  white 
sticks,  and  poor,  sweet  little  brown  mousies,  and 
I  liked  'em,  I  did,"  she  cried. 


l60      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 


XL 

THE    OLD    STAGE-COACH. 

G'LANG!"  shouted  Joel;  "  'twas  just  like 
Mr.  Tisbett's,  I  know,  Polly  —  wasn't  it  ?  " 
he  screamed,  coming  up  bright  and  shining 
after  a  race  around  the  kitchen,  in  which  he 
cracked  an  imaginary  whip,  and  called  to  a  make- 
believe  pair  of  horses  that  were  prancing  this 
way  and  that  and  causing  him  no  end  of  trouble. 

"  Yes,"  said  Polly ;  "  it  was  something  like 
Mr.  Tisbett's." 

"  Make  it  just  exactly  like  his,"  begged  Joel, 
crowding  up  to  Polly. 

"Take  care,  Joe,"  she  warned;  "you  most 
made  me  upset  that  dish  of  potatoes.  Go  away 
now  like  a  good  boy,  until  I  get  ready  to  tell 
the  story  ; "  and  she  bustled  off  into  the  pantry 
again. 

Joel  set  up  another  prancing  around  the 
kitchen.  This  time  little  Davie  joined  in  ;  and 


THE    OLD    STAGE-COACH. 


161 


Phronsie  came  flying  up  in  the  rear,  with  very  red 
cheeks  and  Seraphina  upside  down  in  her  arms/ 

"Goodness   me!"    exclaimed    Polly,    coming 
out    again  with 
both  hands  full. 
"What  a  rac- 
ket!" 

"  It's  Mr.  Tis- 
bett's  stage- 
coach," an- 
nounced Joel 
with  a  flourish, 
and  cracking  his 
whip.  "  Hooray, 
there  —  get  out 
of  the  way  or 
you'll  be  run 
o  ver  !  Any 
passengers?  — 
want  to  get  in, 
ma'am  ?" — with 
a  bow  to  Polly. 

"No,"  said  Polly ;  "thank  you,  I'm  not  going 
away  anywhere  to-day,  Mr.  Tisbett." 

"  G'lang  then ! "    and   away   they   swept   off 
rattling   and   lumbering   along,  and  Polly  was 


Take  care,  Joe,"  she  warned. 


l62      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

left  in  peace  to  get  supper ;  for  Mamsie  would 
come  home  tired  and  hungry  before  long. 

But  at  last  everything  was  ready  ;  and  the 
children,  tired  of  play,  began  to  tease  Polly  for 
the  story  she  had  promised  them  ;  and  Joel 
drove  Mr.  Tisbett's  big  stage-coach  into  the 
corner,  and  tied  the  horses  fast. 

So  Polly  had  to  begin  it  right  away.  "  Well, 
you  know  I  told  you  it  was  a  big  stage-coach." 

"  Yes,  yes,  we  know,"  said  Joel,  flopping  down 
on  a  cricket,  and  folding  his  chubby  hands. 
"  Now  go  on." 

"  You  see,  there  were  four  horses  to  this 
stage-coach,"  announced  Polly,  watching  to  see 
the  effect  of  this  on  Joel. 

"  Whickets  !  "  cried  Joel,  springing  off  from 
his  cricket.  "  O  Polly  — four  horses  !  " 

"Yes,  there  were,"  declared  Polly,  "four 
horses,  —  two  black  ones  and  two  white  ones." 

Joel  stood  perfectly  still,  and  did  not  speak  a 
word  for  several  minutes,  quite  overcome  at 
this.  So  Polly  seized  the  opportunity  to  rush 
along  as  fast  as  she  could  in  the  story.  "  Well, 
and  there  was  a  funny  old  man  who  drove  the 
stage-coach.  He  wasn't  in  the  least  like  our  Mr. 
Tisbett ;  he  was  little  and  round,  and  he  had 


THE    OLD    STAGE-COACH.  163 

a  squeaky  voice ;  and  he  always  said,  '  Pay  me 
your  money  before  you  get  in,  ma'am,'  like 
this,"  said  Polly,  her  voice  going  up  in  a  funny 
little  squeal,  "which  isn't  the  leastest  bit  in 
the  world  like  our  nice,  good  Mr.  Tisbett." 

"  He  lets  me  ride  sometimes  when  I  don't 
pay  any  money,"  said  little  Davie  reflectively. 

"And  once,"  said  Phronsie,  pushing  back  her 
yellow  hair  to  gaze  into  Polly's  face,  "he  let 
Mamsie  and  me  ride  oh  —  away  far  off  —  up  to 
the  store,  I  guess." 

"  I  know,"  said  Polly,  "  he  did,  Pet.  Oh  !  our 
Mr.  Tisbett  is  just  as  dear  as  he  can  be.  Well, 
this  stage-driver  was  sometimes  just  like  a 
snapping-turtle.  I  guess  he  had  the  tooth-ache, 
maybe." 

"  Oh,  dear  me  !  "  said  David,  with  a  lively  re- 
membrance of  his  experience  in  that  direction. 

"Anyway,  he  was  cross  sometimes,"  said 
Polly  ;  "  so,  you  see,  people  didn't  say  much  to 
him  ;  but  they  just  paid  down  their  money  into 
his  hands,  and  hopped  in  as  soon  as  ever  they 
could." 

"  How  do  you  know  two  of  the  horses  were 
black?"  demanded  Joel  abruptly,  and  coming 
up  behind  her. 


164      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

"  Oh  !  goodness  me,  Joe,  how  you  scared 
me  ! "  exclaimed  Polly  with  a  jump.  "  Why,  be- 
cause I  make  'em  so  in  the  story." 

"  Were  they  big  ?  and  did  they  dance  and 
prance  like  this  ? "  demanded  Joel,  kicking  out 
behind,  and  then  going  through  as  wonderful 
evolutions  as  he  thought  his  steeds  could  ac- 
complish if  he  held  the  reins. 

"  Yes,  I  s'pose  they  could  do  everything," 
said  Polly ;  "  but  I  want  to  tell  the  story 
now." 

"  When  I'm  a  big  man  I'm  going  to  be  a 
stage-driver,"  announced  Joel  in  a  loud  voice, 
"  and  I  shall  have  six  horses  ;  so  there,  Polly 
Pepper." 

"Well,  one  day  this  great  big  stage-coach 
I'm  telling  you  about,"  said  Polly,  hurrying  on 
with  the  story,  as  it  was  almost  time  for  Mam- 
sie  to  come,  "was  just  as  full  as  it  could  be, 
and  there  were  two  people  upon  the  box  with 
the  funny  old  driver." 

"That's  me  —  one  of  'em  is,"  declared  Joel ; 
"and  you  —  you  may  sit  up  there  too,  Dave." 

"  Yes,  I'm  going  to  sit  there  too,"  said  little 
David,  hugging  himself  in  great  satisfaction. 

"There  was  a  fat  old  woman  who  took  up 


THE    OLD    STAGE-COACH. 


i65 


most  of  one  whole  seat ;  and  she  had  a  parrot  in 
a  big  cage,  tied  over  with  a  newspaper,  all  ex- 
cept a  hole  at  the  top  so  she  could  breathe. 
And  the  old  woman  kept  leaning  over  and  peep- 
ing into  this  hole,  and  asking,  'Hey,  pretty 
Polly ;  how  are  you  now  ? '  and  Polly  Parrot  al- 


The  old  stage-coach. 


ways  screamed  back,  '  Polly  wants  a  cracker, 
—  Polly  wants  a  cracker.' " 

"And  didn't  anybody  give  her  a  cracker, 
Polly  ? "  asked  Phronsie. 

"  No,"  said  Polly,  "  they  didn't.    Well,  and  "— 

"Why  didn't  somebody  give  her  a  cracker?" 
persisted  Phronsie  gravely. 

"  Oh  !  because  they  didn't  have  any,  and  then 


1 66  STORIES    POLLY    PEPPER   TOLD. 

—  besides,  oh,  she  had  plenty  of  seeds  in  her 
cage.  Well,  so  "  — 

"  Did  she  like  seeds  ?  "  asked  Phronsie,  pulling 
Polly's  arm  gently  to  make  her  pay  attention. 

"  Yes,  I  guess  so,"  said  Polly  absently. 
"Well,  so  you  see"  — 

"  Please  let  somebody  give  her  a  cracker, 
Polly,"  said  Phronsie  in  a  grieved  little  voice 
that  made  Polly  stop  at  once. 

"  Oh  !  I  will,  Pet,"  cried  Polly  at  sight  of  her 
face.  "  Yes  indeed,  that  old  green  parrot  shall 
have  a  cracker.  The  little  thin  man  in  the 
corner  of  the  stage-coach  felt  in  his  pocket, 
and  he  found  one,  and  he  gave  it  to  her." 

"  I  think  he  was  nice,"  said  Phronsie,  in  great 
relief. 

"Well,  let  me  see  —  where  was  I?"  said 
Polly,  wrinkling  her  brows.  "  Oh  !  well,  in  the 
other  side  of  the  stage-coach,  sitting  with  their 
backs  to  the  horses"  — 

"Two  of  them  were  black  and  two  were 
white,"  said  Joel. 

"  Yes  ;  "  Polly  hurried  on  to  get  him  off  from 
the  horses ;  "  well,  there  were  three  boys  crowded 
into  the  seat ;  and  they  had  a  basket  they  were 
carrying  to  their  grandmother,  and  there  was  a 
chicken-pie  in  it." 


THE    OLD    STAGE-COACH.  l/ 

"  Oh,  my ! "  exclaimed  all  the  little  Peppers 
together. 

"Yes;  and  it  was  rich,  and  fat,  and  juicy," 
said  Polly,  for  her  life  not  being  able  to  keep 
from  saying  it. 

"  O  Polly  !  I  want  some,  I  do,"  broke  in  little 
David  imploringly.  Joel  was  just  going  to  say 
so  himself,  but  he  caught  Polly's  eye. 

"  Well,  you  can't  have  any,"  she  said  grimly. 
And  she  set  her  teeth  together  hard.  How 
splendidly  she  could  make  a  chicken-pie  if  she 
ever  had  the  chance !  Why  couldn't  the  little 
brown  house  ever  have  anything  ?  And  for  a 
moment  she  drooped  her  shoulders  in  a  sorry 
little  fashion,  and  all  the  brightness  went  out 
of  her  round  face. 

"  We  never  have  anything,"  said  little  Davie 
plaintively. 

"  Never,"  said  Phronsie  sadly,  shaking  her 
yellow  head.  And  there  they  sat,  two  sorry 
little  figures,  just  ready  to  cry. 

"  Be  still,"  said  Joel,  with  a  savage  pinch  on 
Davie's  arm. 

"  Ow ! " 

"  Well,  you're  making  Polly  sick." 

At  the  word  "  sick"  Phronsie  raised  her  head. 


l68      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

"  Are  you  sick,  Polly  ? "  she  cried,  getting  into 
her  lap. 

"  No ;  that  is  —  I  was  naughty,"  said  Polly, 
waking  out  of  her  dream. 

"Oh,  you're  not  naughty,  Polly,"  cried 
Phronsie,  kissing  her.  "You  couldn't  be." 

"Yes,  I  was,"  declared  Polly;  "just  as 
naughty  as  I  could  be,  and  I  ought  to  be  put 
in  the  corner." 

The  idea  of  Polly's  being  put  in  the  corner 
so  astonished  the  children  that  no  one  spoke, 
so  she  plunged  into  the  story  as  fast  as  she 
could.  "Well,  now,  you  know  the  little  thin 
man  I  told  you  about  over  in  the  other  corner, 
who  gave  Polly  parrot  a  cracker,  had  a"  — 

"  Yes,  I  know,"  said  Phronsie,  patting  her 
pinafore  in  a  satisfied  way.  "  He  was  a  nice 
man,  Polly,  and  I  like  him." 

"  Well,  he  had  a  big  black  dog  with  him,  and 
it  was  under  his  seat." 

"  Oh,  dear ! "  cried  all  the  children  to- 
gether. 

"Yes ;  well,  there  were  some  other  passengers 
in  the  stage-coach,  and  "  — 

"Never  mind  about  them,  tell  about  the  big 
black  dog,"  begged  Joel. 


THE    OLD    STAGE-COACH.  169 

"  Yes ;  tell  about  the  big  black  dog,"  begged 
the  other  two. 

"  Well,  I  will.  Now,  the  big  black  dog  smelt 
the  chicken-pie,  you  see,  before  the  stage-coach 
had  rattled  on  many  miles." 

"  Oh,  dear !  "  cried  the  children. 

"  Yes ;  you  see  all  these  passengers  were 
going  down  to  Bayberry,  and  it  was  an  awfully 
cold  day,  and  everybody  was  all  wrapped  up  in 
big  woolen  shawls,  and  they  had  their  caps 
pulled  down  over  their  ears,  and  they  all  had 
mittens  on.  Oh  !  and  the  chicken-pie  dish  was 
hot  when  the  boys'  mother  gave  it  to  them  to 
carry  to  their  grandmother.  It  was  just  out 
of  the  oven,  you  know ;  so  they  took  turns  in 
carrying  the  basket  on  their  knees.  It  kept 
their  hands  warmer,  you  know." 

"That  was  nice,"  said  little  Davie  reflect- 
ively. 

"Wasn't  it?  Well,  they  were  all  going  along 
as  fine  as  you  please,"  cried  Polly,  racing  on  in 
the  story,  "when  all  of  a  sudden, —  Whoa!  — 
Gee  —  whoop — whoa-a  !  "  called  Polly  in  a  very 
loud  voice  ;  and  she  pulled  hard  on  an  imaginary 
pair  of  reins,  and  held  in  two  pairs  of  fiery 
steeds. 


I/O      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

"I  can  stop  'em  better'n  that,"  screamed 
Joel,  springing  to  his  feet.  "  Here,  give  me  the 
reins."  So  he  whoaed,  and  pulled,  and  roared, 
and  at  last  announced  that  the  horses  were 
brought  up  standing,  and  the  big  stage-coach 
was  quite  still. 

"Thank  you,  Joel,"  said  Polly  ;  "well,  then, 
down  jumps  the  fat  little  cross  stage-driver 
from  his  box,  and  he  comes  up  to  the  door. 
'  Fly  out  of  here,'  he  says,  'every  one  of  you.' 

"'What  must  we  get  out  for?'  asked  the 
woman  with  the  parrot.  You  see,  she  was 
very  fat  and  she  didn't  wish  to  be  hurried  out 
in  this  way. 

"  '  Get  out  this  minute,'  roared  the  little  cross 
old  driver,  'or  I'll  tumble  the  stage  over, 
ma'am.' 

"  So  she  got  out  with  a  great  deal  of  trouble, 
and  set  her  cage,  with  the  parrot  in  it,  all  tied 
up  in  a  newspaper,  except  a  hole  in  the  top  for 
him  to  breathe  by  "  — 

"  Please  don't  let  them  spill  out  his  cracker, 
Polly,"  said  Phronsie  anxiously. 

"  No,  I  won't,  Pet.  You  see,  the  little  thin 
man  stuck  it  in  very  tight  in  the  bars  over  the 
seed-cup,  Phronsie." 


THE    OLD    STAGE-COACH.  I/I 

"  Polly,  I  like  that  little  thin  man  very  much, 
I  do,"  declared  Phronsie  in  a  burst  of  enthu- 
siasm. 

"So  do  I,  Phronsie.  Well,  and  then  the 
other  passengers  all  got  out ;  they  had  to,  you 
see,  because  the  cross  little  stage-driver  was 
screaming  and  roaring  at  them,  you  know,  and 
last  of  all  the  three  boys  with  the  chicken-pie- 
basket  got  out.  And  they  set  it  on  the  grass, 
very  carefully  under  a  bush  by  the  roadside ; 
and  then  they  ran  with  all  the  rest  of  the 
people  to  see  what  the  matter  was  with  the 
stage-coach.  Everybody  ran  but  the  big  black 
dog." 

"  Now  I  know  that  he  is  going  to  eat  up  the 
boys' grandmother's  chicken-pie,"  cried  Joel  — 
"  oh,  dear  me  ! " 

"  Hush,  —  don't  tell  things  till  I  get  to  'em, 
Joe,"  cried  Polly,  who  dearly  loved  to  announce 
all  the  startling  surprises  in  her  stories  with  as 
much  of  a  flourish  as  possible. 

"  Well,  I  most  know  he  is,"  said  Joel,  subsid- 
ing into  a  loud  whisper.  "Ain't  he,  Polly?  " 

"Maybe.  Well,  now,  you  know  everybody 
was  peering  and  looking  this  way  and  that,  all 
over  the  big  stage-coach.  '  I  don't  see  any- 


1/2      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

thing  broken,'  said  the  little  thin  man,  getting 
down  on  his  knees  on  the  hard  frozen  ground  to 
examine  it  underneath. 

"  '  And  neither  do  I,'  said  the  big  fat  woman 
very  angrily;  'and  I'm  just  going  to  get  in 
again.' 

" '  No  you  won't,  either,  ma'am,'  declared  the 
cross  little  stage-driver  ;  '  for  this  is  my  stage- 
coach, and  I  tell  you  I  heard  something  crack.' 

" '  'Twas  a  piece  of  a  stone  in  the  road,  I 
guess,' said  the  thin  little  man,  getting  up  from 
his  knees,  and  brushing  the  dirt  off. 

" '  Or  a  stick  you  ran  over  most  likely,'  said 
another. 

"But  the  little  old  stage-driver  said,  'No,' 
very  crossly  ;  '  it  wasn't  either  of  these  things.' 
It  sounded  just  like  the  bottom  of  his  stage- 
coach cracking,  and  he  wasn't  going  to  have  it 
smashed.  And  he  kept  them  all  out  there  in 
the  cold,  till  he  looked  over  and  under  and 
around  it  very  carefully.  At  last,  as  he  couldn't 
find  anything,  not  even  the  smallest,  tiniest  bit 
of  a  crack,  he  let  them  get  in  again.  So  the 
big  fat  woman  picked  up  her  parrot  in  the  cage, 
with  the  newspaper  tied  over  it,  all  except  a 
hole  in  the  top  for  it  to  breathe  through, 


THE    OLD    STAGE-COACH.  1/3 

and  everybody  else  got  their  things  and  clam- 
bered in,  —  all  but  the  three  boys,  who  couldn't 
find  the  chicken-pie  they  were  carrying  to 
their  grandmother,  that  was  under  the  bush  by 
the  roadside." 

"Oh,  dear  me!"  they  all  exclaimed,  while 
Phronsie  clasped  her  small  hands  in  despair, 
and  sat  quite  still. 

"No,  it  wasn't  there,"  declared  Polly,  shaking 
her  brown  head,  —  "  not  so  much  as  a  scrap  of 
the  crust,  nor  a  bit  of  the  dish,  nor  a  single 
speck  of  the  basket.  And  oh,  how  those  boys 
did  feel !  " 

"  What  did  they  do  ?"  cried  Joel,  feeling  such 
a  calamity  not  to  be  borne. 

"They  just  couldn't  do  anything,"  said  Polly. 
"And  down  they  sat  on  three  stones  by  the 
roadside.  And  everybody  had  stopped  getting 
in,  and  turned  to  help  look  for  the  pie.  And 
pretty  soon  they  all  heard  a  dreadful  noise." 

"  What  was  it  ?  "  asked  Phronsie  fearfully. 

"  Oh  !  now  I  know  it  is  the  chicken-pie  coming 
back ;  and  those  three  boys  can  take  it  to  their 
grandmother,  "  exclaimed  little  David  joyfully. 

"  Hoh  —  hoh  — a  chicken-pie  can't  come  back 
like  that,"  said  Joel,  with  a  snort. 


1/4      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

"And  the  little  thin  man  came  skurrying  out 
of  the  bushes,  and  dragging  after  him  his  big 
black  dog,"  said  Polly  with  a  fine  flourish,  "  who 
smelt  of  chicken-pie  all  over  his  face ;  and  he 
wouldn't  look  at  anybody,  and  especially  the 
three  boys  sitting  on  their  stones  by  the  road- 
side ;  but  he  rolled  his  eyes  up  like  this,"  Polly 
looked  off  sideways,  and  up  at  an  imaginary 
sky ;  "  and  his  master,  the  thin  little  man,  said, 
and  he  dragged  him  by  his  collar  up  in  front 
of  those  boys,  'Now,  sir,  say  you're  sorry  you've 
eaten  up  all  that  pie  ; '  and  that  dog  said, '  Bark  — 
bark  !  '  just  as  loud,  oh,  you  can't  think  !  " 

Phronsie  screamed  in  great  excitement,  and 
clapped  her  hands  together  to  think  of  the  big 
dog.  Then  she  grew  very  sober.  "  But  what 
will  the  boys  do,  Polly  ?  " 

"And  the  grandmother?"  finished  Joel  and 
David  together. 

"  Oh  !  the  little  thin  man  said,  '  Hold  your 
hands,  boys  ;'  and  then  he  dropped  one  — two  — 
three  — four  —  five —  six  gold  pieces  into  them." 

"  Gold  ?  "  screamed  Joel  excitedly. 

"  Yes,  real,  true  shiny  gold,"  cried  Polly, 
nodding  away  ;  "  enough  to  buy  two  dozen 
chicken-pies,  all  richer  and  juicier  and  better 


THE    OLD    STAGE-COACH.  1/5 

than  the  one  the  boys  were  carrying  to  their 
grandmother." 

" '  Now  let's  all  hop  into  the  stage-coach/ 
cried  the  little  thin  man  —  Why,  here's  Mam- 
sie!" 


STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 


XII. 

MR.  NUTCRACKER;  THE  STORY  THAT  WASN'T 

A    STORY. 


on!"  whooped  Joel,  rushing  into 
the  kitchen,  and  tossing  his  cap  in  the 
corner  ;  "  my  chores  are  all  done  ;  now  tell  the 
story,  Polly,  tell  the  story  !  "  he  clamored. 

"  Oh,  dear  me  !  "  began  Polly  in  a  vexed  tone, 
and  looking  up  at  the  old  clock  in  the  corner. 
Then  she  remembered  what  Mamsie  had  said 
once,  "  If  you  promise  anything,  do  it  cheer- 
fully." "  I  will,  Joey,"  she  finished,  a  smile 
running  over  her  face;  "just  wait  one  min- 
ute ;  "  and  she  flew  into  the  buttery. 

"  I  can't  wait  a  single  bit  of  a  minute,"  grum- 
bled Joel. 

But  Polly  was  back  almost  before  he  could 
say  another  word.  "  Now,  says  I,"  she  cried, 
"we'll  have  the  story,  Joe." 

"  It's  got  to  be  a  long  one,"  declared  Joel,  a 


THE  STORY  THAT  WASN  T  A  STORY.    I// 

remark  he  never  failed  to  make  on  like  occa- 
sions. 

"All  right,"  said  Polly  gayly.  "Now,  I 
thought  up  something  you'll  like,  I  guess,  for 
this  story  ;  it's  about  Mr.  Nutcracker  !  " 

"  Jolly  !  "  exclaimed  Joel,  hugely  pleased  ;  "  I 
guess  I  shall,  Polly  ; "  and  ripples  of  satisfaction 
ran  over  his  round  cheeks.  "  Well,  do  hurry  !  " 

"  I've  got  to  do  some  work,"  said  Polly,  paus- 
ing a  moment  to  think ;  "  I  can't  ever  sit  down 
to  tell  stories  in  the  daytime  without  I'm  work- 
ing, —  ever  in  all  this  world,  Joe  Pepper.  And 
Mamsie  has  just  taken  all  the  sacks  home  to 
Mr.  Atkins  ;  she  finished  'em  last  night.  What- 
ever'll  I  do  ? "  she  wrinkled  her  brows,  and  stood 
lost  in  thought. 

"You  might  mend  our  stockings,"  said  Joel, 
knocking  one  set  of  toes  impatiently  against 
the  other.  "  Do  hurry,  Polly,  and  think  of  some- 
thing," he  implored,  his  face  falling. 

"  Mamsie's  done  those,"  said  Polly.  "  I  peeked 
into  the  mending-basket  after  breakfast ;  and 
they're  all  finished  and  rolled  up  into  little  balls." 

"  Well,  come  on,  then,"  said  Joel,  thoroughly 
out  of  patience  ;  "  if  there  isn't  any  work,  do  tell 
the  story,  Polly." 


178      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

"  It  doesn't  seem  right  to  be  sitting  down  in 
the  morning,  without  I  am  working,"  said  Polly 
slowly  ;  "  I  don't  know  when  I've  done  it.  But 
there  really  isn't  any  sewing  ;  and  the  biscuits 
I  was  going  to  make  can  be  done  just  as  well 
by  and  by  ;  so  I  s'pose  I  can  tell  you  the  story 
now,  Joey." 

"Come  on,  then!"  shouted  Joel,  throwing 
himself  flat  on  the  floor,  and  drumming  with  his 
heels.  "  Do  hurry  up,  Polly  Pepper  !  " 

So  Polly  sat  down  on  the  floor,  feeling  still 
very  queer  to  be  telling  stories  in  the  daytime 
without  a  needle  in  her  fingers,  and  Joel  squirmed 
along  and  laid  his  head  in  her  lap.  "  I'm  glad 
you  ain't  sewing,"  he  declared  in  great  satisfac- 
tion ;  "'cause  now  you  can  smooth  my  hair." 

So  Polly  smoothed  and  patted  his  stubby 
head  in  a  way  that  Joel  liked  to  have  Mamsie 
do,  and  presently  she  began  : 

"  Mr.  Nutcracker  had  a  house  "  — 

Rap  —  rap  —  came  somebody's  fingers  on  the 
old  green  door. 

"  Oh,  bother  !  "  cried  Joel,  jumping  up.  And 
Polly  skipped,  too,  in  surprise  ;  for  visitors  didn't 
come  very  often  to  the  little  brown  house  door, 
and  they  both  ran  as  fast  as  they  could  to  open  it. 


THE    STORY    THAT    WASN  T    A    STORY.         I /Q 

An  old  man  stood  on  the  flat  door-stone, 
leaning  both  hands  on  a  knobby  old  stick; 
and  his  head,  underneath  his  torn  hat,  was  bob- 
bing as  he  trembled  with  age.  The  children 
stared  at  him  in  dismay.  "  I'm  very  hungry," 


So  Polly  smoothed  and  patted  his  stubby  head 


ay  that  Joel  liked. 


he  said,  looking  at  Polly ;  "  I  haven't  eaten 
anything  to-day;  can't  you  give  me  a  bite?" 
Oh,  dear !  Polly  looked  at  Joel  in  dismay. 
There  wasn't  anything  in  the  house,  except 
some  cold  potatoes  that  Mrs.  Pepper  was  going 
to  fry  for  dinner,  and  Polly's  biscuits,  as  she 


180      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

called  them  by  courtesy,  that  were  still  to  be 
made,  as  the  bread  had  given  out. 

"We  haven't  anything"  —  she  began,  in  a 
faltering  voice. 

"  Why,  Polly  Pepper  !  "  exclaimed  Joel  loudly, 
and  crowding  past  her  to  get  a  better  view  of 
their  visitor  ;  "we  have  too  —  lots  and  lots;" 
for  Joel  never  could  bear  to  have  people  think 
they  were  poor. 

"  Where  is  it  ?  "  asked  Polly,  turning  on  him. 
Then  she  flew  around  again,  for  the  old  man 
was  sinking  down  on  the  flat  stone.  "  Oh,  dear 
me  !  don't  please,  poor  old  man,"  she.  begged, 
trying  to  help  him  up  to  his  feet  again. 

"  I'm  very  hungry,"  he  quavered,  shaking 
over  his  stick. 

"  Come  into  the  house,"  said  Polly,  with  both 
hands  under  his  arm — "Joe,  take  his  other 
arm  —  and  you  can  sit  in  our  Mamsie's  big 
chair ;  it's  splendid,  and  it  will  rest  you." 

The  old  man  nodded,  and  set  his  poor  trem- 
bling feet  just  where  Polly  told  him  to  ;  and  at 
last,  Joel  purring  and  pushing  on  his  side  with  a 
great  deal  of  importance,  he  was  helped  into 
the  kitchen,  and  set  down  in  Mother  Pepper's 
big  calico-covered  chair  over  in  the  corner. 


THE    STORY   THAT    WASN'T    A    STORY.        l8l 

"  That's  so  nice,"  he  said  with  a  deep  sigh, 
and  resting  his  head  on  his  shaking  hands. 

"  Joel,"  said  Polly,  drawing  off  that  individ- 
ual into  the  entry  with  great  difficulty,  as  he 
had  no  eyes  or  ears  for  anything  but  their  visi- 
tor, "  I'm  afraid  he's  going  to  die,  he's  so  very 
hungry.  I  must  get  him  something  to  eat. 
Now  I'm  going  to  bake  my  biscuits ;  Mamsie'd 
let  me  give  him  some  of  those,  I  know." 

"No,  no!"  cried  Joel;  "you've  got  to  tell 
me  about  Mr.  Nutcracker,  Polly,"  seizing  her 
gown. 

"  For  shame,  Joe ! "  cried  Polly  warmly, 
"  when  that  poor  old  man  is  maybe  going  to 
die  because  he  hasn't  had  anything  to  eat. 
What  would  Mamsie  say  if  she  could  hear 
you  ? " 

Joel  ducked  his  stubby  head,  and  kicked  the 
floor  with  his  toes  in  a  shamefaced  way. 
"Well,  you  may,  Polly,"  he  cried;  "and  I'll 
help  you,"  he  added,  brightening  up,  and  run- 
ning into  the  kitchen  after  her. 

"  So  you  shall,"  cried  Polly  briskly.  "  See 
if  there's  plenty  of  wood  in  the  box,  Joe,  the 
first  thing,"  as  she  hurried  into  the  pantry  to 
get  the  baking  materials. 


1 82      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

"  Yes  ;  there  is,"  declared  Joel,  poking  his 
head  back  of  the  stove  to  investigate ;  "  lots 
and  lots,  Polly  Pepper.  I'm  going  to  put  some 
more  in;"  and  he  set  up  immediately  a  great 
clatter  that  told  the  work  was  well  under  way. 

"  Don't  put  too  much  in,  Joe,"  warned  Polly, 
knowing  his  energies  in  that  direction;  "you 
will  have  the  house  a-fire.  "  Goodness  me,  do 
take  out  that  last  stick,"  as  she  came  in  with 
the  bread-bowl.. 

"Can't,"  said  Joe ;  "it's  got  little  sparks  on 
the  end." 

"Then  I'll  blow  'em  out,"  said  Polly,  setting 
down  the  bread-bowl  on  the  table  ;  and  running 
over  to  the  stove,  she  pulled  out,  to  Joel's  ex- 
treme dislike,  the  big  stick  he  had  last  crammed 
in,  and  suited  the  action  to  the  word.  "There, 
you've  got  plenty  in  already,  goodness  knows, 
Joe  Pepper ! "  she  declared,  getting  up  with  a 
very  red  face.  "  You  know  Mamsie  doesn't 
like  us  to  crowd  the  stove  tight  chock  full.  It 
burns  splendidly,  this  new  one  does,  and  we'll 
have  the  chimney  a-fire  if  we  don't  look  out." 

"The  chimney  ain't  a-fire,"  grunted  Joel. 
"I'll  run  out  and  see."  And  he  dashed  toward 
the  door. 


THE  STORY  THAT  WASN'T  A  STORY.    183 

"Come  back:  of  course  it  isn't  now,"  said 
Polly  with  a  laugh,  and  flying  over  to  the  baking- 
table.  "  Oh,  dear  me !  I  ought  not  to  laugh  when 
that  poor  old  man  is  hungry."  Then  she  sud- 
denly dropped  everything,  and  ran  over  to  him 
trembling  away  in  Mamsie's  big  chair. 

"We  haven't  anything  in  the  house  to  eat 
but  some  cold  potatoes,"  she  said,  the  color  all 
over  her  face  ;  "and  our  mother  is  going  to  fry 
those  for  our  dinner  when  she  comes  home. 
But  I'm  going  to  bake  some  biscuits,  if  you 
could  wait,  poor  old  man.  They'll  soon  be 
done ;  for  we've  got  a  new  stove,  and  it  bakes 
splendidly."  Then  Polly  hurried  back  to  her 
table,  while  the  old  man  mumbled  something 
down  in  his  throat,  she  couldn't  tell  what,  he 
shook  so. 

"  It's  good  Phronsie  and  David  are  over  to 
Grandma  Bascom's,"  said  Polly,  flying  at  her 
work ;  "  for  she'd  worry  dreadfully  over  that 
poor  old  man,  and  she'd  tease  me  to  hurry  and 
bake  'em  fast,  so  I  couldn't  do  a  thing.  There, 
now  that  pan's  ready  for  the  oven." 

"Let  me  carry  'em  and  put  'em  in,"  cried 
Joel,  who,  having  given  up  his  plan  to  rush  out 
and  investigate  the  old  chimney  from  the  small 


184      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

door-yard,  was  now  hanging  over  Polly's  baking- 
table,  and  dividing  his  attention  upon  her  work 
and  the  old  visitor  over  in  the  corner.  "  Let 
me,  Polly,"  springing  up,  and  holding  out  both 
hands. 

"  Oh,  I'm  afraid !  "  began  Polly.  Then  remem- 
bering how  he  had  to  wait  for  the  story,  she 
added  hastily,  "Well,  be  careful,  Joe,"  as  she 
put  the  pan  into  his  outstretched  hands. 

"  I'll  be  careful/'  said  Joe,  marching  off  with 
his  black  eyes  fastened  on  the  pan  which  he 
was  carrying  carefully  in  both  hands.  "  Now, 
says  I,  you're  going  into  the  oven,  Mr.  Bis- 
cuits." 

Polly  rushed  back  into  the  pantry  to  get 
another  pan,  when  she  heard  Joel's  voice  :  "  Oh, 
I  couldn't  help  it,  Polly,"  and  when  she  flew 
out,  there  was  Joel  sitting  on  the  floor  in  a 
heap  ;  and  the  pan  was  upside  down  beside  him, 
while  several  little  lumps  of  dough  seemed  to 
be  trying  to  get  back  of  the  stove. 

"  O  Joe,  are  you  hurt  ?  "  cried  Polly,  flinging 
down  her  empty  pan,  and  running  up  to  him. 

"No — no  —  no!"  roared  Joel  in  the  great- 
est distress,  "but  I've  up — up  —  set  —  upset  — 
upset  " — and  he  screamed  on  worse  than  ever. 


THE   STORY   THAT   WASN'T   A    STORY.        18$ 

"  Never  mind,"  said  Polly  soothingly,  and 
swallowing  something  in  her  throat  as  she 
looked  at  the  poor  little  lumps  of  dough  on 
the  floor.  "  See,  you  didn't  spill  'em  all,  Joe," 
and  she  turned  the  pan  right  side  up ;  "  there 
are  some  stuck  fast." 

Joel,  at  that,  took  out  one  black  eye  from 
under  his  arms,  and  regarded  the  pan  through 
his  tears. 

"  And  you  are  scaring  that  poor  old  man 
most  to  death,"  said  Polly,  hastily  gathering 
up  the  little  lumps  of  dough.  "  Look  at  him, 
Joe." 

Joel  stopped  instantly  as  he  looked  over  at 
Mamsie's  corner.  There  sat  the  poor  old  man, 
staring  at  them  both,  and  hanging  to  the  arm 
of  the  big  chair  in  consternation. 

"  Now  you've  got  to  go  over  and  tell  him  that 
you  won't  cry  any  more,"  said  Polly  decidedly ; 
"  else  I  don't  know  what  will  happen.  Maybe 
he'll  go  out  on  the  doorstep  again,  and  tumble 
straight  down.  Just  think,  Joel  Pepper  !  "  And 
with  that  she  opened  the  oven  door  and  popped 
in  the  pan  that  had  a  few  lonely  little  dough- 
lumps  scattered  in  it. 

Joel,  thus  adjured,  scampered  over  to  the  poor 


1 86      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 


'You  are  scaring  that  poor  old  man  most  to  death,"  said   Polly. 


THE    STORY    THAT    WASN'T    A    STORY.         1 87 

old  man.  "I  —  I  —  won't  —  cry  any  more,  sir," 
he  blurted  out,  twisting  his  face  dreadfully. 

"  Hey  ?  "  said  the  old  man,  "what's  the  mat- 
ter ?  "  So  Joel  told  him  the  whole  story. 

And  the  old  man,  who  hadn't  heard  the  tum- 
ble and  the  upset  of  the  pan,  only  Joel's  roars, 
soon  quieted  down  and  leaned  back  in  his  chair. 

"  And  now,"  said  Polly,  over  by  the  table, 
"  I  shouldn't  wonder  if  this  pan  was  ready  for 
you  to  carry  over  and  put  in  the  oven,  Joey." 

"  What  ? "  exclaimed  Joel,  not  believing  his 
ears  ;  "  you  going  to  let  me  put  that  one  in  ? " 

"  Yes,"  said  Polly,  "  to  be  sure.  "  You  won't 
stumble  this  time,  Joe,  if  you  look  where  you're 
going." 

"  I  caught  my  toe  in  the  rug,"  said  Joe,  racing 
over  to  the  table  ;  "  I  was  looking  at  the  pan,  and 
I  didn't  see  where  I  was  going." 

"  Well,  you  must  use  your  eyes  so  you  do  see 
where  you're  going,"  said  Polly  with  a  merry 
laugh.  "  There  now,"  and  she  put  the  second 
pan  in  Joel's  happy  hands.  "  This  one  will  go 
all  right,  I  guess." 

And  this  one  did.  And  it  was  presently  shut 
up  tight  in  the  hot  oven,  along  with  the  lonely 
little  dough-lumps,  now  puffing  up  finely ;  and 


1 88      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

Joel,  proud  as  he  could  be,  strutted  up  and 
down  the  kitchen  floor.  And  Polly  put  away 
her  baking-things,  and  soon  the  old  kitchen 
was  spick-span,  it  was  so  fresh  and  tidy. 

"  And  now,"  she  said,  "  we  can't  do  anything 
for  that  poor  old  man  till  those  biscuits  are 
done.  Oh,  dear  me,  how  perfectly  splendid ; 
here  comes  Mamsie  !  " 

And  out  through  the  old  doorway,  and  over  the 
flat  stone,  raced  Polly,  with  Joel  at  her  heels. 
And  they  seized  Mother  Pepper  on  both  sides, 
holding  her  arms,  while  Joel  took  her  big  bun- 
dle, all  the  time  pouring  the  story  of  the  poor 
old  man,  and  the  dreadful  state  he  was  in,  and 
the  biscuits  baking,  and,  oh  !  Joel  must  confess 
how  he  had  upset  the  pan  with  the  first  ones, 
though  Polly  tried  to  stop  him,  and  oh !  couldn't 
Mamsie  fry  him  some  potatoes  right  away,  and 
ever  so  much  more,  till  they  all  three  stood  in 
the  old  kitchen. 

"  He  must  have  some  tea,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper, 
with  a  sharp  look  at  him,  and  throwing  off  her 
shawl.  "Run,  Polly,  and  get  the  tea-caddy." 

"O  Mammy!"  exclaimed  Polly.  Mother 
Pepper  never  had  tea  unless  she  had  caught 
cold,  or  was  so  tired  she  must  take  it,  or  get 


THE   STORY   THAT    WASN'T   A    STORY.        189 

sick ;  and  there  was  now  such  a  very  little  bit 
down  in  the  bottom  of  the  caddy.  And  Polly 
stood  quite  still. 

"Run,  I  say,  Polly,"  commanded  Mrs.  Pep- 
per ;  and  she  pulled  the  old  teakettle  into  a 
hotter  part  of  the  stove.  "  A  fine  cup  of  tea 
will  do  his  bones  good,  more'n  anything  else." 

"  There's  such  a  little  bit  left,"  gasped  Polly, 
not  moving. 

"  Polly ! "  Mrs.  Pepper  turned  suddenly  on 
her.  "  Why,  Polly  —  hush,  he'll  hear  you.  For 
shame,  child  ;  he's  such  a  very  poor  old  man." 

"And  then  you  won't  have  any,"  said  Polly, 
at  her  end  of  self-control.  "  O  Mamsie  !  I  wish 
I  hadn't  brought  him  in,"  she  added  under  her 
breath,  and  she  burst  into  tears. 

Mrs.  Pepper  only  stopped  to  pat  her  head  ;  and 
then  she  hurried  into  the  pantry  and  brought 
out  the  tea-caddy ;  and  Polly,  with  the  tears 
racing  over  her  face,  watched  her  as  the  pre- 
cious tea  was  poured  into  the  little  black  pot 
and  set  on  the  stove. 

"  Now  run,  Polly,  child,"  cried  Mother  Pep- 
per as  cheerily  as  ever,  "  and  get  the  big  pink- 
and-white  cup  on  the  upper  shelf."  This  used 
to  be  Father  Pepper's,  and  was  carefully  laid 


ICp      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

away  ;  so  while  Polly  ran  off  with  her  tears,  wip- 
ing them  on  her  apron,  Mrs.  Pepper  sliced  up 
some  cold  potatoes,  and  set  them  in  the  spider 
to  fry.  Joel  in  the  meantime  had  been  opening 
his  mother's  big  bundle,  as  he  always  tried  to 
do  whenever  she  brought  home  the  fresh  supply 
of  sacks  and  coats  to  make,  so  he  heard  nothing 
of  what  was  going  on. 

"And  I  guess  you  better  have  a  look  at  those 
biscuits  in  the  oven/'  observed  Mrs.  Pepper 
wisely,  as  she  sliced  away.  So  Polly  ran,  and 
kneeled  down  before  the  stove,  and  drew  out 
first  one  pan  and  then  the  other  —  the  one  with 
the  lonely  little  lumps  in  it  — 

"  O  Mamsie  !  "  she  exclaimed  happily  ;  "  see, 
they're  as  fine  as  they  can  be  ! " 

And  sure  enough  they  were  ;  every  biscuit 
had  turned  a  lovely  brown,  and  it  had  puffed  up 
in  just  the  right  place,  as  much  as  to  say,  "  You 
see,  we  did  our  duty." 

"  So  they  are,"  cried  Mrs.  Pepper,  pleased  to 
see  Polly  all  right  once  more  ;  "  it  beats  all, 
Polly,  to  see  how  nicely  you  can  bake  things. 
Mother's  proud  of  you." 

Polly  set  down  the  two  hot  pans  on  the  kitchen 
table,  and  ran  round  back  of  her  mother,  and 


THE    STORY    THAT    WASN  T   A    STORY.        IQI 

dropped  a  kiss  on  the  black  hair.  "  I'm  awfully 
sorry,"  she  whispered. 

"  I  know  it,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper ;  "  and  now  we 
just  won't  say  any  more  about  it,  Polly,  child." 
Then  she  briskly  began  to  turn  her  potato-slices 
that  were  sizzling  away  in  the  spider  in  the 
cheeriest  fashion. 

And  Polly  got  a  little  old  towel,  very  clean 
and  nice,  and  spread  it  on  the  tray,  and  she  put 
the  big  pink-and-white  cup  upon  it,  and  Mam- 
sie  poured  the  tea  into  it,  and  dished  out  some 
crisp  potato-bits  on  a  plate,  and  Polly  put  some 
little  biscuits  around  it  all,  and  there  was  a  din- 
ner fit  for  a  king ! 

"  Oh,  my ! "  howled  Joel,  smelling  the  pota- 
toes ;  "  what  have  you  got  ?  "  jumping  up,  and 
nearly  upsetting  Polly,  and  tray,  and  all,  as  she 
carried  it  slowly  across  the  kitchen  to  the  old 
man's  chair. 

"Take  care,  Joe,"  warned  Mrs.  Pepper,  fol- 
lowing to  help  Polly. 

"Oh  —  oh!"  Joel  seemed  to  lose  sight  of 
everything  but  Father  Pepper's  pink-and-white 
cup,  and  he  pointed  an  astonished  finger  at  it. 

"  I  know  it,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  setting  her 
lips  together  firmly  ;  "  Father'd  like  to  have  us 


IQ2      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

let  the  old  man  take  it.  Now,  Polly,  you  can 
feed  him  the  potato,  and  "  — 

"  No,  let  me,"  said  Joel,  crowding  in  between, 
and  trying  to  get  possession  of  the  two-tined 
fork. 

"  No,  I  think  Polly  better ;  but  you  can  break 
the  biscuits  apart,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper.  So  pretty 
soon  the  old  man  was  sitting  up  quite  straight 
for  him  ;  and  after  he  had  taken  one  or  two  good 
draughts  of  the  steaming  tea,  he  felt  quite  re- 
vived, and  let  Polly  feed  him  the  crisp  potato- 
bits,  and  the  biscuits  which  Joel  industriously 
broke  apart,  until  Mrs.  Pepper  put  down  the 
empty  cup,  and  regarded  Polly's  plate,  on  which 
there  wasn't  a  scrap  of  anything  left  but  the 
fork. 

"  I  can't  thank  you,"  said  the  old  man,  quite 
heartened  up,  and  looking  around  at  them  all. 

"  No,  don't  try,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper ;  "  you  can 
go  to  sleep  now.  Come,  children  ; "  and  she  drew 
them  off  into  the  bedroom. 

"  Now,  Polly,"  she  said,  when  the  door  was 
shut,  "you  must  run  down  to  Parson  Hender- 
son's at  once.  He'll  know  what  to  do  with  the 
poor  old  man,  for  we  can't  let  him  go.  He'll 
tumble  down  in  the  road." 


THE    STORY    THAT    VVASN  T   A    STORY.         193 

"  I  will,  mother,"  cried  Polly,  tying  on  her 
sun-bonnet.  "  What'll  I  say,  Mammy  ? " 

"  Say  ?  Why,  tell  just  what  it  all  is,  —  how  he 
came,  and  ask  Parson  Henderson  what  we  are 
to  do.  Run  along,  child,  and  don't  let  the  grass 
grow  under  your  feet." 

"  Will  Parson  Henderson  know  what  to  do 
with  him  ? "  cried  Joel  in  a  loud  whisper. 

"  Yes,  of  course,"  said  Polly  quickly  ;  "  Parson 
Henderson  knows  everything.  But  'spose  he 
shouldn't  be  home,  and  I  sh'd  see  Miss  Jeru- 
sha !  "  and  Polly's  round  cheek  turned  pale  with 
fright. 

"  Go  along,  child,  and  don't  worry  about  things 
till  you  get  to  'em,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper.  "The 
Lord'll  provide,  and  I  believe  He'll  let  Parson 
Henderson  be  home." 

So  Polly  ran  off  on  the  wings  of  the  wind,  and 
presently  back  she  came  in  state,  riding  in  the 
big  old  chaise  that  Parson  Henderson  had  bor- 
rowed from  one  of  his  parishioners.  And  on  the 
way  the  minister  told  so  many  pleasant  things, 
that  Polly  wished,  if  it  hadn't  been  for  Mamsie's 
anxiety  over  the  old  man,  that  that  ride  might 
last  forever.  And  then  they  were  in  front  of 
the  little  brown  house,  to  which  they  drove  up 


IQ4      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

with  a  flourish,  bringing  Joel  out  with  an  en- 
vious whoop,  and  Mrs.  Pepper  to  the  window. 

And  then  Parson  Henderson  and  Mrs.  Pepper 
and  the  children  helped  the  poor  old  man  ten- 
derly into  the  big  chaise,  to  go  to  the  nice  place 
that  the  parson  knew  about,  till  he  would  be 
well  enough  to  go  on  his  journey.  And  then 
home  came  Phronsie  and  David  from  Grandma 
Bascom's,  down  the  lane,  just  in  time  to  see  the 
chaise  go  whirling  off  ;  and  Ben,  hungry  as  a 
beaver,  came  rushing  in  from  his  work  for  din- 
ner. So  Mother  Pepper  and  Polly  had  to  fly  to 
get  the  midday  meal  ready,  leaving  it  to  Joel  to 
tell  the  story  in  his  own  way,  an  opportunity 
that  he  improved  to  the  utmost. 

And  after  dinner  Ben  said  that  he  wanted 
Joel  to  go  back  with  him  to  work  ;  for  there 
was  wood  to  pile,  and  that  meant  ten  cents 
more  pay  at  night.  So  it  was  evening  before 
Joel  thought  of  the  interrupted  story ;  and  he 
screamed  right  out,  "  O  Polly  Pepper,  you  didn't 
finish  about  Mr.  Nutcracker  !  " 

"  No,"  said  Polly,  "  I  didn't ;  and  how  could 
I?" 

"Well,  you  must  tell  it  now,"  declared  Joel 
in  a  very  injured  fashion. 


THE    STORY    THAT    WASN  T    A    STORY.        195 

"  Why,  Joel  Pepper,  look  at  that  clock ! "  cried 
Polly,  pointing  to  it. 

"It's  only  half — a  little  after  seven,"  said 
Joel,  looking  every  way  but  at  the  clock. 

"  O  Joe,  it's  twenty-five  minutes  to  eight  ! " 
said  Davie,  running  up  to  stand  under  the  clock. 

"Well,  that  isn't  much,"  grumbled  Joel. 

"  It's  five  minutes  after  your  bed-time,  Joel," 
said  Mother  Pepper,  going  into  the  bedroom  for 
her  big  work-basket ;  "  so  take  yourself  off." 

"  And  I'll  finish  Mr.  Nutcracker  to-morrow, 
Joe,"  promised  Polly,  as  Joel  clattered  upstairs. 


196  STORIES    POLLY    PEPPER    TOLD. 


XIII. 

MR.  NUTCRACKER. 

A>ID  so  it  came  about  that  Polly  began  on 
the  morrow,  without  any  more  ado,  the 
story  of  Mr.  Nutcracker ;  for  Mother  Pepper 
said  that  she  might  sit  down  as  soon  as  the 
dishes  were  washed,  and  tell  it  to  Joel.  So  this 
is  it  :  — 

"  Mr.  Nutcracker,"  began  Polly  in  her  gayest 
fashion,  "was  very  high  up  in  the  world.  In 
fact,  he  didn't  like  to  have  anybody  above  him. 
So  he  built  his  house  clear  up  ever  so  far  above 
everybody  else.  Then  he  was  quite  satisfied." 

"  What  kind  of  a  house  ?  "  broke  in  Joel. 

"  Never  mind.  You  wait  till  you  hear  more 
of  the  story,"  said  Polly.  "Well,  Mrs.  Nut- 
cracker liked  her  house  that  he  built  her  very 
much  indeed.  That  is,  she  would  have  liked  it, 
but  the  children,  the  little  Nutcrackers,  you 
see,  wouldn't  stay  in." 


MR.    NUTCRACKER.  197 

"  Oh,  dear  me !  "  exclaimed  Joel. 

"No  ;  they  kept  jumping  out  as  fast  as  they 
could.  And  those  that  didn't  jump  out,  tumbled 
out." 

"  Oh,  dear  me  !  "  said  Joel  again. 

"  Until  it  was  very  dreadful,"  declared  Polly, 
shaking  her  brown  head  ;  "  for  it  kept  poor  Mrs. 
Nutcracker  running  every  minute  to  the  door 
of  her  house  to  try  to  keep  her  children  in. 
At  last  she  said  to  her  husband,  Mr.  Nutcracker, 
'  Pa,  you  surely  must  build  me  a  house  nearer 
to  the  ground.' " 

"And  did  he?"  cried  Joel,  absorbed  in  in- 
terest. 

"  No,  he  said,  '  Oh,  never !  No  Nutcracker 
has  ever  lived  lower  down  in  the  world  than  we 
are  !  and  I  can'i;  do  it,  my  dear ! '  " 

"  That  was  bad  of  him,"  exploded  Joel  with 
very  red  cheeks  ;  "  bad,  mean  old  man  not  to  do 
as  Mrs.  Nutcracker  wanted  him  to  do.  Wasn't 
he,  Polly  ? " 

"Well,  you'll  see,"  said  Polly,  hurrying  along 
as  fast  as  she  could.  "  And  the  little  Nutcrack- 
erses  kept  jumping  and  tumbling  out  of  the 
house  at  a  great  rate,  until  one  day  something 
very  dreadful  happened." 


198      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

"  Tell  about  it,"  cried  Joel,  hugely  pleased. 

"  Yes,  I'm  going  to.  Well,  Pa  Nutcracker 
had  gone  off  about  his  business,  and  Mrs.  Nut- 
cracker was  doing  the  work,  when  suddenly 
there  was  a  loud  noise  down  on  the  ground,  and 
two  or  three  of  the  little  Nutcrackerses  jumped 
out  to  the  door,  and  leaned  over,  and  said  they 
were  going  down  to  see  what  it  was,  and  then 
away  they  rushed  with  a  hop,  skip,  and  a  jump. 
And  six  of  them,  brothers  and  sisters,  said  they 
were  going  ;  and  they  were  in  such  a  hurry 
they  didn't  look  straight  before  them,  and  they 
tumbled  through  the  air — whiz — whiz"  — 

"  Did  they  come  on  their  heads  ? "  cried  Joel 
excitedly. 

"  No ;  they  stuck  their  feet  out,  and  they 
came  right  down  on  them,"  said  Polly,  "just 
as  good  as  could  be.  So  you  see  they  weren't 
hurt  a  bit.  Well,  and  then  as  Mrs.  Nutcracker 
was  all  alone,  why  she  thought  she  might  as 
well  go  too.  So  she  went  down.  And  there 
was  the  Nutcracker  house  left  all  by  itself. 
Then  came  the  dreadful  thing." 

"What  was  it?"  asked  Joel  fearfully,  and 
snuggling  closer  to  Polly. 

"  Well,  at  first  it  was  just  as  still,"  said  Polly, 


MR.    NUTCRACKER.  199 

dropping  her  voice  to  a  little  whisper,  "you 
can't  think  how  still  it  was,  Joey  Pepper.  Not 
a  creature  was  stirring,  and  "  — 

"  Why  didn't  she  shut  the  door,"  cried  Joel, 
"  when  she  went  out,  and  put  the  key  in  her 
pocket  ?  Say,  Polly  ? " 

"Why,  there  wasn't  any  key,"  said  Polly, 
racing  along.  "  Now,  you  mustn't  stop  me  any 
more,  Joe,  else  I  never'll  get  through." 

"Mr.  Nutcracker  wasn't  a  nice  man  at  all,  I 
think,"  said  Joel  in  great  disapproval,  "  if  he 
couldn't  give  'em  a  key.  Was  he,  Polly  ?  " 

"You'll  see,"  said  Polly,  redoubling  her  speed. 

"Well,  when  Mrs.  Nutcracker  ran  along  so 
swiftly,  being  in  such  a  hurry,  you  see,  her 
great  long  train  to  her  dress  swept  out  and  " — 

"  Is  it  a  train  of  cars  ? "  asked  Joel,  his  eyes 
sticking  out  as  far  as  possible.  "  O  Polly !  I've 
.never  seen  'em,  'cept  in  a  picture." 

"  No,"  said  Polly.  Then  she  burst  out  laugh- 
ing, "  How  could  a  train  of  cars  be  hanging  on 
Mrs.  Nutcracker's  dress,  Joe  ?  Dear  me,  that 
would  be  funny  !  " 

"You  said  train,"  declared  Joel,  dreadfully 
disappointed. 

"  I   know ;  but  this  is  different.     It's  some- 


2OO      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

thing  made  like  the  rest  of  the  dress,  and  it 
hangs  off  when  the  one  who's  got  the  dress  on 
walks,  and  she  can  swish  it  around  perfectly 
splendidly;  just  like  this,  Joel  Pepper,"  and 
Polly  hopped  to  her  feet,  and  began  to  parade 
up  and  down  the  old  kitchen  floor,  holding  an 
imaginary  trailing  gown,  and  then  letting  it  fall 
like  a  peacock's  tail  as  it  swept  the  ground, 
while  she  held  her  head  high,  and  sailed  off. 

"  Hoh,  how  you  look  !  "  cried  Joel  in  disdain. 

"  Joel,"  she  cried,  coming  up  to  him,  with 
sparkling  eyes  and  her  cheeks  rosy  red,  "  it 
must  be  perfectly  lovely  to  have  a  train  to  your 
dress.  Oh,  don't  I  wish  I  had  one  just  like 
that  picture  in  Mr.  Beebe's  book  !  Then  I'd 
have  a  fan,  a  red  fan  just  like  that  lady  —  no," 
said  Polly,  wrinkling  her  brows  as  she  tried  to 
decide,  "I  b'lieve  I'd  rather  have  a  pink  fan, 
Ben  does  so  love  pink.  Yes,  my  gown  shall  be 
pink,  too,  pink  satin  with  sweet  little  white  flow- 
ers all  over  it,  and  shiny.  O  Joel,  it  shall  shine 
just  like  everything!"  and  Polly  swept  up  and 
down  again  like  a  lady  of  fashion. 

"Well,  that  isn't  Mrs.  Nutcracker,"  called 
Joel  loudly,  in  an  injured  tone. 

"  Oh,  I  forgot ! "  exclaimed  Polly,  all  her  airs 


MR.    NUTCRACKER. 


201 


and  graces  tumbling  off  from  her  in  a  flash,  and 
she  skurriedback  to  Joel.  "Oh,  let  me  see! 
where  was  I  ? " 

"You  said  Mrs. 
Nutcracker's  long 
train  swept  out," 
supplied  Joel. 

"Oh,  yes,  sol 
did.  Well,  and 
you  know  the 
dreadful  crea- 
ture that  was  al- 
ways watching 
to  see  if  he  could 
find  the  Nut- 
cracker house 
left  all  alone, 
caught  sight  of 
her  long  train 
sweeping  away, 
and  he  snapped 
his  green  eyes 
with  delight, 
and  he  laughed 
a  perfectly  dreadful  laugh,  and  he  said,  '  Now  I 
have  it,  now  I  have  it !  " 


Polly  began  to  parade  up  and  down  the  old 
kitchen  floor. 


2O2      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

"  Oh  !  who  was  he?"  screamed  Joel,  flinging 
himself  forward  almost  into  Polly's  lap. 

"  Wait,  and  you'll  see,"  she  replied,  laughing. 
"Well,  so,  sure  enough,  just  as  soon  as  Mrs. 
Nutcracker  was  fairly  off,  in  hurried  this  dread- 
ful creature,  right  in  the  doorway  of  the  Nut- 
cracker house." 

"  Did  he  get  on  Mr.  Nutcracker's  bed  ?  "  cried 
Joel. 

"  Wait,  and  see,"  said  Polly  again. 

"  You  say,  'wait  and  see,'  every  single  time  I 
ask  anything,"  grumbled  Joel. 

"  And  I  am  going  to  all  through  this  story," 
said  Polly  coolly  ;  "  so  it  won't  be  any  use  for 
you  to  ask  me,  Joe.  Well,  and  there  he  was  as 
quick  as  could  be,  inside  that  dear  little  house, 
and  all  those  Nutcrackers  away." 

Polly  spread  her  hands  in  a  sad  little  way. 

"  Oh,  dear  me  !  "  exclaimed  Joel  in  distress. 

"  Well,  now  you  know  when  Mrs.  Nutcracker 
went  down  she  didn't  mean  to  stay  long,  but 
she  met  a  friend,"  — 

"  Who  was  it  ?  "  asked  Joel  abruptly. 

"  Oh,  it  was  —  dear  me  !  "  said  Polly,  bursting 
into  a  little  laugh  ;  "  it  was  her  cousin,  and  "  — 

"You  said  it  was  her  friend,"  corrected  Joel. 


MR.    NUTCRACKER.  2O3 

"Well,  and  so  it  was,"  said  Polly  merrily. 
"  I'm  sure  a  cousin  is  a  very  nice  friend,  in- 
deed." 

"  I  wish  I  had  a  cousin,"  said  Joel ;  "  I've  never 
had  one.  Why  don't  we  have  some,  Polly  ?  " 

"  Some  what  ?  "  asked  Polly  absently,  with 
her  mind  on  the  story,  wondering  how  she 
should  end  it. 

"  Some  cousins,"  said  Joel,  twitching  her 
gown.  "Why  don't  we  ever  have  any;  say, 
Polly  ? " 

"  Oh,  some  folks  don't  have  any,"  said  Polly, 
stifling  a  sigh  as  she  thought  how  very  nice  it 
would  be  to  have  a  houseful  of  cousins  to  go 
and  see. 

"  I  s'pose  poor  folks  don't  have  any,"  said 
Joel  reflectively. 

"  Um  —  maybe,"  said  Polly,  her  chin  in  her 
hands,  and  only  half  hearing  what  he  said. 

"  Well,  do  go  on,"  begged  Joel  in  alarm  lest 
he  should  never  get  the  end  of  that  story,  and 
jogging  her  elbow  ;  "what  next,  Polly  ?  " 

"  Oh  !  "  Polly  started  suddenly  and  rushed 
on  again.  "  Yes,  there  he  was,  that  dreadful 
creature  right  in  the"  — 

"  You    said    that,"   cried   Joel.     "  Mrs.    Nut- 


2O4      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

cracker  met  her  cousin,  you  told  already  ;  now 
what  next  ? " 

"  So  I  did,"  said  Polly  brightly.  "  Yes,  she 
met  her  cousin,  and  so  they  stopped  to  talk  and 
to  ask  after  each  other's  families  ;  and  that  took 
a  good  deal  of  time,  you  know  ;  and  all  this  while 
there  was  that  dreadful  creature  in  Mrs.  Nut- 
cracker's little  house." 

"  Oh,  dear  me  !  "  cried  Joel. 

"  Yes  ;  and  there  were  all  the  little  Nutcrack- 
erses  having  such  a  good  time  running  round, 
trying  to  find  out  what  the  noise  was  all  about, 
and  Mr.  Nutcracker,  too,  he  " - 

"Polly,"  asked  Joel  suddenly,  "what  was  the 
noise  about  ?" 

"  Oh  !  it  was  nothing  but  a  boy  driving  a  lot 
of  pigs  to  market,  and  they  wouldn't  go  the 
way  he  wanted  'em  to;  so  he  chased  'em,  and  he 
switched  his  stick  over  their  backs,  and  they 
squealed  awfully.  And  the  little  Nutcracker- 
ses  were  so  sorry  that  they  had  taken  the 
trouble  to  come  down  just  for  that ;  so  they  said 
they'd  race  up  home  again  and  see  who  would 
beat." 

"O  Polly!"  cried  Joel,  in  great  excitement; 
"  and  did  they,  and  find  the  dreadful  creature 


MR.    NUTCRACKER. 


205 


with  the  green  eyes  waiting  for  'em  in   their 
home  ?     Did  they,  Polly  ? " 


And  the  pigs  wouldn't  go  the  way  he  wanted  'em  to. 

"Yes,"  said  Polly;  "they  did.     And  the  lit- 
tlest of  the  Nutcrackerses,  Jim  Nutcracker,  he 


206      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

got  home  first ;  and  he  rushed  in  the  doorway 
screaming  out,  'I've  beaten  —  oh  —  dear  me!' 
there  was  the  great  creature  lying  down  on  the 
floor,  ready  to  eat  him  up!" 

Joel  clapped  his  little  brown  hands  in  de- 
light. "  Make  him  bite  him,"  he  begged  ;  "  do, 
Polly." 

"  Oh,  no,  I  can't !  "  said  Polly ;  "  he  was  such  a 
little  Nutcracker,  you  know.  Well,  he  tumbled 
right  back  against  his  brothers  and  sisters  rush- 
ing up.  'Don't  go  in,'  he  screamed  at  them. 
So  they  stopped,  and  all  got  in  a  round  ring, 
and  thought  about  it.  And  the  dreadful  crea- 
ture in  the  house  kept,  oh,  so  still,  hoping  little 
Jim  Nutcracker  hadn't  seen  him,  or  at  least 
that  he'd  come  back  and  bring  his  brothers  and 
sisters  with  him.  And  pretty  soon  Mrs.  Nut- 
cracker got  through  talking  with  her  cousin  ; 
and  so  she  came  hurrying  up  home,  and  after 
her,  running  as  fast  as  could  be,  because  you  see 
it  was  getting  late,  came  Mr.  Nutcracker. 

" '  Oh,  here  come  mammy  and  pappy ! ' 
screamed  all  the  children,  as  glad  as  they 
could  be  ;  and  "  — 

"Oh!  make  Mr.  Nutcracker  fight  the  dread- 
ful man  with  the  green  eyes  in  his  house,"  cried 


MR.    NUTCRACKER.  2O? 

Joel ;  "  make  him  knock  him  down,  and  hit  him 
and  bang  him  all  over  and  "  — 

"  O  Joey  !  "  cried  Polly. 

"Yes,  do,"  begged  Joel;  "and  bite  him  till 
he  squealed  just  like  the  pigs.  Will  you, 
Polly  ? " 

"  Well,  you'll  see,"  said  Polly  again,  nodding 
wisely.  "  Now,  Mr.  Nutcracker  wasn't  a  bit 
afraid ;  so  he  cried  out  very  boldly,  '  Be  quiet, 
my  children/  to  all  the  little  Nutcrackerses ; 
'  I'll  take  care  of  the  bad  creature  in  our  house.' 
But  Mrs.  Nutcracker  was  awfully  scared,  for 
she  thought  if  she  had  only  stayed  at  home  the 
dreadful  thing  couldn't  have  got  in.  So  when 
Father  Nutcracker  started  to  go  and  fight  the 
bad,  wicked  creature,  she  just  grasped  hold  of 
his  ta  —  I  mean,  his  train,  and"  — 

"  Did  Father  Nutcracker  wear  a  dress  ? "  cried 
Joel,  in  the  greatest  astonishment. 

"  He  ?  — oh,  no  !  "  laughed  Polly  ;  then  little 
gurgles  kept  running  up  and  down  her  throat, 
while  Joel  persisted,  "  You  said  so  ;  you  said  she 
grabbed  hold  of  his  train,  so  there." 

"  O  Joey,  I  didn't  say  'grabbed,'"  corrected 
Polly  who  dearly  loved  to  use  nice  words. 

"  Well,  anyway,  you  said  she  took  hold  of  it, 


2O8      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

and  he  had  a  train  just  like  Mrs.  Nutcracker's, 
so  he  must  have  worn  a  dress,"  cried  Joel 
stoutly ;  "  I  think  that's  funny." 

"  So  I  sh'd  think,"  said  Polly,  laughing  again. 
"  Well,  now,  he  didn't  wear  a  dress,  and  you 
mustn't  interrupt  me  again,  Joe ;  if  you  do,  I 
shall  never  get  through  this  story  in  all  this 
world.  '  Come,  children,'  cried  Mrs.  Nutcracker," 
—  and  Polly  dashed  off  speedily  ;  "  'help  me  to 
hold  your  Pa,  for  he  mustn't  fight  that  dreadful 
thing  in  our  house.'  So  all  the  little  Nutcrack- 
erses  ran  up  to  their  mother,  and  helped  her 
hold  Mr.  Nutcracker  fast  and  "  — 

"  Oh,  I  think  that's  too  bad  ! "  howled  Joel, 
horribly  disappointed  ;  "  now  there  won't  be  any 
fight,  Polly  Pepper  !  " 

"  You  wait  and  see,"  advised  Polly  once  more  ; 
"  then  I  guess  you'll  like  it,  Joel  Pepper." 

So  Joel  smiled  again  quite  comfortably  ;  since 
Polly  said  he'd  like  it,  he  was  quite  sure  he 
should.  And  so,  on  Polly  hurried.  "  Well,  there 
was  Mr.  Nutcracker  with  Mrs.  Nutcracker  and 
all  those  little  Nutcrackerses  hanging  on  to  him, 
oh,  so  tight  and  fast!  so  he  couldn't  get  away 
you  see,  although  he  begged  and  begged.  And 
then  Mrs.  Nutcracker  spoke  up  loud  and  sharp, 


MR.    NUTCRACKER.  2OQ 

'  Children,  you  hold  tight  on  to  your  Pa,  and 
don't  you  let  him  go  ;  while  I  run  down  and  get 
the  cousins  to  come  and  help  us." 

"  O  Polly !  now  I  know,"  exclaimed  Joel  in 
great  glee  ;  "there's  going  to  be  a  big,  big  fight. 
I  like  it  a  great  deal  better  to  have  all  those 
cousins  come  and  help,  I  do,  Polly,  truly." 

"So  I  thought,"  said  Polly  bobbing  her  brown 
head.  "Well,  I  must  hurry.  So  Mrs.  Nut- 
cracker ran  as  fast  as  her  feet  would  carry  her, 
down  to  the  ground,  and  she  called  every  one  of 
those  cousins  she'd  been  talking  to  such  a  little 
while  ago,  and  the  big  tears  rolled  out  from  her 
eyes,  and  she  couldn't  speak  for  a  whole  minute. 

"  '  Dear,  dear,  dear ! '  cried  all  the  cousins, 
huddling  around  her,  'what  is  the  matter, 
Cousin  Nutcracker  ? ' 

"  And  then  she  finally  told  them  all  about  it ; 
and  every  one  of  those  cousins  promised  he'd  go 
up  with  Mrs.  Nutcracker,  and  help  to  drive  out 
the  bad,  wicked  creature  who  had  stolen  into  her 
house. 

"  Oh,  that  was  nice !  "  screamed  Joe,  in  a  joy- 
ful tone.  "  Now  there's  going  to  be  a  big,  big 
fight;"  and  he  wriggled  all  over  in  great  sat- 
isfaction. 


2IO      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

"And  so  up  they  all  came  in  a  troop  —  I 
guess  there  was  a  dozen  of  'em,"  said  Polly. 

"  Oh,  my  !  "  exclaimed  Joel. 

"Yes  ;  and  Mrs.  Nutcracker  rushed  up  ahead 
of  'em  all,  to  her  husband.  '  Pa,'  she  cried, 
'here  we  are — we'll  help  you  to  drive  out  the 
bad,  naughty,  wicked  thing  from  our  house.' 

"  And  every  single  one  of  those  cousins  said, 
'Yes,  we'll  help  you,  Cousin  Nutcracker.' 

"  So  the  little  Nutcrackers  let  their  pa  go ; 
and  they  were  very  glad  to  do  so,  for  they 
ached  all  over  holding  him  so  long,  —  he  was 
very  big,  you  know  ;  and  he  kicked  dreadfully, 
and  bit  and  scratched,  whenever  he  didn't  like 
things,  and  "  • 

"  That  wasn't  nice  in  a  man,"  observed  Joel ; 
"I  ain't  going  to  bite  and  scratch  when  I'm 
grown  up,  Polly." 

"  Hey  ?  "  said  Polly.  "  Oh  !  "  and  then  she 
laughed.  "  Well,  don't  interrupt  again,  Joel," 
she  warned,  holding  up  her  finger.  "  Well, 
Father  Nutcracker,  he  said,  '  Now,  Ma  and  chil- 
dren,' turning  to  the  little  Nutcrackerses,  '  and 
you,  cousins,  let's  plan  how  we'll  do  this  thing; 
since  you've  come,  you  might  as  well  help, 
though  I  could  have  done  very  well  alone. 


MR.    NUTCRACKER.  211 

Now,  I'm  going  ahead  ;  and  just  as  soon  as  my 
nose  sticks  in  the  doorway,  do  you  jump  in  and 
scream,  "  Now  we  got  you  ! "  and  we'll  all  hop 
on  to  that  dreadful  horrid  creature,  and  beat 
him,  and  pitch  him  out  of  our  house.' " 

Joel  gripped  Polly's  arm  in  speechless  enjoy- 
ment. 

"  '  All  right,'  said  the  cousins,  bobbing  their 
heads.  '  And  I  approve  of  your  plan,  Pa,'  said 
Mrs.  Nutcracker  very  proudly ;  and  the  little 
Nutcrackerses  hopped  and  skipped  in  joy,  and 
so  they  started." 

Joel's  eyes  got  very  big,  but  he  didn't  say  a 
word  as  he  clung  to  Polly's  arm. 

"  And  don't  you  think,"  said  Polly,  "  that  the 
hateful,  bad  old  thing  in  the  Nutcrackers'  house 
didn't  hear  them  coming ;  they  all  stepped  on 
the  tips  of  their  toes,  you  know ;  and  he  just 
winked  and  blinked  his  green  eyes  as  he  said  to 
himself,  '  I'll  catch  'em  every  one  pretty  soon.' 
And  then  he  looked  up,  and  there  was  Mr.  Nut- 
cracker's nose  in  the  doorway." 

Joel  jumped  as  if  he  were  shot.  "  O  Polly  !" 
he  screamed. 

"  And  after  him  came  all  those  cousins  and 
Mrs.  Nutcracker.  She  was  slower,  'cause  she 


212      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

was  so  big,  you  know  ;  yes,  and  every  single  one 
of  those  little  Nutcrackerses  ;  they  just  ran  in 
between  all  the  others,  and  all  together  they 
jumped  and  hopped  onto  the  great  big  dreadful 
creature,  and  "  • 

"  Make  him  hop  at  them,  and  kick,  too,  Polly, 
that  big  man  with  the  green  eyes  !  "  howled  Joel, 
quite  gone  in  excitement. 

"  Oh,  it  was  very  dreadful !  "  exclaimed  Polly, 
holding  up  both  hands,  "  for  about  a  minute  or  so. 
And  instead  of  the  great,  dreadful  thing  crying 
out,  '  I've  got  you  ! '  he  began  to  whimper  and 
beg,  '  Oh,  let  me  go  !  let  me  go  ! '  And  pretty 
soon  all  the  whole  bunch  of  Nutcrackerses,  and 
their  cousins  who  had  come  to  help,  just  lifted 
up  that  bad,  wicked,  horrid  thing  with  the  green 
eyes,  that  had  stolen  into  their  house,  and  they 
pitched  him,  head  over  heels  through  the  door- 
way, and  down  —  down;  and  he  was  ten  feet 
long ;  so  he  was  dreadful  slow  in  "  — 

"O  Polly  Pepper!"  roared  Joel,  "what  you 
saying  ?  why,  there  isn't  any  man  so  big  as 
that." 

"  It  wasn't  a  man,"  said  Polly  coolly. 

"  Wasn't  a  man  ?  "  fairly  squealed  Joel ;  "  what 
was  it  ? " 


MR.    NUTCRACKER.  213 

"  A  great  brown,  striped  snake,"  said  Polly ; 
"  he  was  lovely,  but  he  was  bad  you  know,  to 
steal  into  the  Nutcrackers'  house  when  they 
were  all  away." 

Joel  tumbled  back  and  thought  a  minute. 
"  Was  Mr.  Nutcracker  a  man,  Polly  ?"  he  asked, 
fixing  his  black  eyes  upon  her  face. 

"  Oh,  no  !  "  said  Polly  with  a  little  laugh. 
"  Why,  didn't  you  guess,  Joey  Pepper  ?  He 
was  the  sweetest  dear  of  an  old  gray  squirrel 
you  ever  saw ;  so  of  course  he  had  to  have  a 
brush-train,  just  like  Mrs.  Nutcracker's,  you 
know." 


214      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 


XIV. 

THE    RUNAWAY    PUMPKIN. 

"  T  DON'T  see,"  said  Van  as  they  were  all 
J-  seated  on  the  rug  before  the  library  fire, 
listening  to  one  of  Polly's  stories,  "how  you 
ever  do  think  of  such  splendid  things,  Polly 
Pepper." 

"  That's  nothing,"  said  Jasper,  "  to  the  stories 
she  has  told  time  and  again  in  The  Little 
Brown  House  in  Badgertown." 

"  Oh,  tell  us  one  of  those  now  !  "  begged  Van 
eagerly,  "  do,  Polly  Pepper  ;  "  and  "  do,  Polly  Pep- 
per," cried  Percy  and  little  Dick  together.  And 
"  do,  Polly  "  said  Jasper  pleadingly,  "  if  you  are 
not  all  tired  out." 

"  Oh,  I'm  not  tired  !  "  said  Polly,  shaking  back 
the  little  fluffs  of  hair  from  her  brow.  Then  she 
sat  looking  into  the  fire  a  minute.  "  I  guess  I'll 
tell  you  of  '  The  Runaway  Pumpkin.'  " 

"  Do,"  cried  Jasper  in  great  satisfaction.     "  I 


THE    RUNAWAY    PUMPKIN.  215 

remember  that ;  that's  fine.  Now,  keep  still,  you 
three  chaps,  or  else  Polly  can't  tell  it.  You're 
worse  than  the  menagerie  any  day,"  as  the  boys 
began  to  express  their  enthusiasm  in  such  a 
babel,  Polly  could  scarcely  get  a  word  in  by 
way  of  beginning. 

"  Well,  once  upon  a  time,"  began  Polly,  try- 
ing to  frown  at  them  ;  but  instead,  the  brown 
eyes  were  laughing  as  she  hurried  on,  with 
quite  a  flourish.  "  You  must  know  that  my 
story  is  all  about  the  time  when  animals  talked, 
and  pumpkins  walked,  and  "  — 

"  Oh,  don't  have  any  poetry  ! "  began  Van 
in  alarm ;  "  that's  perfectly  horrid.  Don't, 
Polly." 

"  Why,  it  isn't  in  poetry,"  she  said. 

"  Yes,  'tis,"  contradicted  Van. 

"  Look  out,"  cried  Jasper.  "  The  first  chap 
who  contradicts  will  get  off  from  this  rug,  and 
have  no  story  at  all." 

"  I  didn't  mean,"  began  Van. 

"  No,  he  really  didn't  mean  to  contradict,  I 
believe,  Jasper,"  said  Polly.  "But  what  did 
make  you  think  I  was  going  to  tell  you  a  poe- 
try story,  Vanny  ?  Why  I  couldn't  if  I  wanted 
to.  Tell  me  "  — 


2l6      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 


guess  I'll  tell  you  of  the  Runaway  Pumpkin,"  said  Polly. 


THE    RUNAWAY    PUMPKIN.  21? 

"  Why,  you  said  the  animals  talked,  and  the 
pumpkins  walked." 

"  Oh,  dear  me  !  "  cried  Polly,  almost  tumbling 
over  on  the  rug,  and  laughing  merrily,  in  which 
they  all  joined ;  "  I  didn't  know  I  made  a 
rhyme.  So  I  did  say  that,  didn't  I  ?  Well,  you 
needn't  be  frightened,  I  won't  do  so  any  more. 
I  don't  believe  I  could  if  I  wanted  to.  Now, 
then,"  and  she  sat  straight,  and  wiped  her  eyes, 
"  I'll  begin  again." 

"  And  if  you  interrupt  another  time,  old  fel- 
low," said  Jasper  in  his  fiercest  fashion,  and  he 
pretended  to  make  a  dive  for  Van's  coat-collar, 
"out  you  go,  sir,  neck  and  heels.  Go  on,  Polly  ; 
I'll  keep  this  chap  straight." 

"Well,  pumpkins  did  walk  and  talk  too," 
said  Polly,  plunging  on  in  her  gayest  mood,  "in 
those  days  I'm  telling  you  about.  Now,  Far- 
mer Stebbins  had  a  big  field  of  them, — oh!  it 
was  as  big  as  this  house  and  the  grounds,  and 
way,  way  off,  —  I  don't  know  how  far ;  and  every 
single  bit  of  it  was  full  and  running  over  with 
pumpkins." 

"  How  many  ?  "  cried  Van  thoughtlessly. 

"Sh  !  "  Jasper  held  up  his  hand,  and  made  a 
great  show  of  springing  in  Van's  direction, 


2l8      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

which  made  that  individual  duck  suddenly  be- 
hind Percy's  back. 

"You  see,  he  had  to  have  a  great  many  pump- 
kins to  take  to  market,  because  there  were  such 
lots  of  children  at  his  house,  and  that  was  all 
they  had  to  live  on." 

"Did  they  eat  pumpkins  ?"  cried  Percy  in  a 
tone  of  disgust. 

"They  didn't  exactly  eat  them,"  said  Polly, 
"  at  least  not  all  the  while ;  but  they  ate  the 
things  their  father  bought  with  the  money  he 
sold  them  for  at  the  market." 

"Oh  !  —  well,  go  on." 

"And  every  day  all  those  children  would 
climb  up  to  all  the  windows  in  Farmer  Steb- 
bins's  house,  and  watch  to  see  the  pumpkins 
growing  bigger.  And  the  first  thing  they  did 
in  the  morning  was  to  run  out  and  count  them 
to  see  if  anybody  had  run  off  with  any  in  the 
night." 

"  How  many  were  there  ?  "  asked  Van,  bob- 
bing up  from  his  retirement. 

"  Sh  !  "  cried  Jasper. 

"Oh!  I  don't  know;  about  a  million,  I  sup- 
pose," said  Polly  recklessly. 

"O  Polly   Pepper!"  exclaimed  Percy  in  as- 


THE    RUNAWAY    PUMPKIN.  2IQ 

tonishment  ;  "  why,  that  can't  possibly  be 
true." 

"  Of  course  it  isn't,"  said  Polly  coolly  ;  "  this 
is  a  make-believe  story,  you  know." 

"  And  if  you  two  chaps  don't  keep  still,  you'll 
get  no  story,"  declared  Jasper  again.  "  Here's 
Dick,  now,  is  as  quiet  as  a  mouse.  You  might 
learn  manners  from  him." 

"  I  want  to  hear  Polly  Pepper  tell  the  story," 
said  little  Dick,  folding  his  hands  tightly  to- 
gether. 

"Of  course  you  do,  —  so  we  all  do  ;  and  that's 
the  only  way  we  can  hear  it  by  keeping  quiet. 
Well,  go  on,  Polly,  please." 

So  Polly  began  again  :  "  Well,  the  pumpkins 
grew  and  grew.  First  they  were  green,  you 
know,  and  funny  little  things,  and  the  vines  quite 
covered  them.  And  then  they  grew  bigger, 
and  swelled  all  up  fat  and  round,  and  ran  their 
heads  through  the  green  leaves ;  and  the  frost 
came  one  night,  and  bit  the  grass  and  all  the 
tender  things  everywhere,  and  the  next  morn- 
ing when  all  the  Stebbinses  ran  out,  it  didn't 
seem  as  if  there  was  anything  in  the  world  but 
big  yellow  pumpkins.  All  the  vines  were  just 
puckered  and  shrivelled  up.  But  the  pump- 


220      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

kins  were  just  as  proud  as  could  be  ;  and  they 
said,  '  Now  we've  got  the  whole  world  to  our- 
selves.' 

"  And  Farmer  Stebbins  went  up  and  down 
among  them  all,  rubbing  his  hands  just  like 
this  ;"  and  Polly  looked  so  like  him  that  every- 
body burst  out  laughing;  "and  he  said,  '  Now, 
says  I,  my  fine  pumpkins,  we'll  put  you  in  a  pile 
very  soon,  and  when  your  coats  get  yellow,  away 
you  go  to  market.'  " 

"  What  did  he  mean  ? "  demanded  Percy. 

"  Be  still,  and  she'll  tell  you,"  said  Jasper. 

"And  sure  enough,  what  do  you  think.  Every 
single  one  of  those  million  pumpkins  soon 
found  himself  in  a  great  big  pile  against  the 
barn,  and  there  they  were  to  stay  until  the 
farmer  said  they  were  yellow  enough.  Then 
away  they  would  drive  to  the  market  ! 

"  Well,  one  cold  night  everybody  had  gone 
to  bed  in  the  farmhouse,  and  even  Snap  the 
great  brindled  dog  was  asleep,  and  all  was  as 
still  as  it  could  be,  when  one  yellow  pumpkin 
up  top  of  the  very  tip  of  the  pile  whispered, 
'  Hist  !  '  and  every  other  pumpkin  listened  with 
all  his  might  to  hear  what  he  was  going  to 
say. 


THE  RUNAWAY  PUMPKIN.         221 

"  '  We  are  all  very  foolish,'  said  the  Tip  Top 
Pumpkin,  '  if  we  stay  here  to  be  carted  off  to 
that  old  market,  where  somebody  comes  along 
to  buy  us  to  carry  us  home  to  eat  up.' 

"  '  What  can  we  do  ? '  cried  all  the  others 
straight  through  the  big  pile. 

"'  Hush  —  don't  make  such  a  dreadful  noise,' 
warned  the  Tip  —  Top  —  Pumpkin,  '  or  we 
shall  have  the  whole  house  after  us.  I'm 
not  going  to  be  made  up  into  a  Thanksgiving 
pie,  I  can  tell  you.' 

"  At  the  word  '  pie,'  all  the  other  pump- 
kins shivered  so  that  down  came  the  pile  roll- 
ing and  clattering  to  the  ground  ;  and  some 
of  them  were  going  so  fast  they  couldn't 
stop,  but  kept  right  on  and  were  never  seen 
more. 

"  '  Let's  all  run,'  said  the  Tip  Top  Pumpkin 
suddenly.  «  Come  on.'  With  that  he  tumbled 
himself  down  with  a  will,  and  set  off  down 
the  road  towards  the  village.  But  the  other 
pumpkins  didn't  dare  to  follow,  but  they  hud- 
dled together  just  where  they  fell.  And  so 
Tip  Top,  I'm  going  to  call  him,  went  on  alone. 
But  he  didn't  care,  and  he  sang  to  himself  as 
he  rolled  along  just  as  jolly  and  gay  ;  and  the 


222  STORIES    POLLY    PEPPER    TOLD. 

first  thing  he  knew,  an  awful  thing  came 
thwacking  on  his  back,  and  a  big  hand  said, 
'  Here,  stop  there !  you're  coming  with  me.' 
And  he  looked  up  and  saw  a  giant." 

"  Oh  !  oh  !  "  screamed  the  three  boys. 

'"Oh!  no,  I'm  not  going  with  you,'  gasped 
poor  Mr.  Tip  Top  ;  '  I'm  going  by  myself, 
thank  you.'  And  he  wished  a  thousand  times 
he  was  back  again  on  the  snug  pile  with  the 
other  pumpkins. 

"The  great  big  giant  only  laughed  ;  and  he 
slipped  the  pumpkin  into  his  pocket,  where  he 
rattled  round  no  bigger  than  a  hickory  nut." 

"  Oh,  dear  me  !  "  exclaimed  Percy,  while  Van 
struck  his  hands  together  in  delight.  "And 
then  the  giant  stamped  on  the  ground,  and 
poor  Mr.  Tip  Top  thought  it  thundered,  and 
he  began  to  beg  with  all  his  might  to  be  let 
out.  And  in  a  minute  some  boys,  three  or 
four  times  as  big  as  Farmer  Simpson  in  size, 
came  running  up.  'What  do  you  want,  mas- 
ter? '  they  cried. 

"'Catch  me  a  young  elephant,'  roared  the 
giant  at  them.  '  A  juicy,  tender  one,  and  half 
a  dozen  young  lions  for  sauce.  And  then  run 
home  and  heat  the  pot  boiling  hot ;  for  I've 


THE    RUNAWAY    PUMPKIN.  223 

got  a  juicy  pumpkin  in  my  pocket  for  a  nice 
little  morsel  to  go  with  them.' 

"  Oh,  how  poor  Mr.  Tip  Top  trembled  down 
deep  in  that  giant's  dreadful  pocket !  It  was 
as  black  as  a  well ;  and  however  much  he  strug- 
gled, he  knew  he  never  could  get  up. 

" '  Please,  Mr.  Giant/  he  said  in  a  very  weak 
voice,  he  was  so  afraid,  '  do  let  me  out. 
You  are  so  big  I  could  only  make  you  a  mouth- 
ful, and  I  want  to  go  home.' 

"'Be  quiet!'  roared  the  giant  at  him,  'or 
I'll  chew  your  head  right  off  in  one  bite 
now.' 

"  So  poor,  miserable  Mr.  Tip  Top  had  noth- 
ing to  do  but  to  roll  into  the  farthest  corner  of 
the  pocket,  and  shiver  and  shake,  and  hope  for 
some  means  of  escape.  And  away  sped  the 
giant  across  the  fields  ;  and  then  the  poor  pump- 
kin knew  he  was  being  carried  to  the  castle 
under  ground  where  the  giant  lived,  and  that 
he  would  never  come  out  alive  —  oh,  dear,  how 
he  shivered  and  shook  ! 

"  And  pretty  soon,  down  went  the  giant  over 
a  long  pair  of  steps,  two  at  a  time,  then 
down  some  more,  till  the  poor  pumpkin's  head 
became  quite  dizzy.  And  at  last  he  stopped, 


224    x          STORIES    POLLY    PEPPER    TOLD. 

and  stamped  on  the  ground  ;  and  Mr.  Tip  Top 
was  very  sure  this  time  that  it  thundered. 

"  '  What  ho  !  '  screamed  the  giant,  '  is  every- 
body asleep  that  you  do  not  come  when  I  call  ? ' 
And  there  was  a  great  scampering;  and  all  the 
little  giants  and  Mrs.  Giant,  and  all  the  ser- 
vants came  running  as  fast  as  could  be.  And 
the  ground  shook  like  everything,  till  poor  Mr. 
Tip  Top  thought  he  should  die  of  fright. 

"  '  See  what  I've  brought,'  cried  the  giant  in 
a  dreadful  voice  ;  and  he  tipped  up  his  pocket, 
and  out  rolled  the  yellow  pumpkin.  All  the 
giants  and  giantesses  and  Mrs.  Giant  raced 
after  him  with  dreadful  big  steps  ;  but  he  rolled 
under  a  big  stone  chair,  cut  out  of  the  side  of 
the  rock  that  the  cave  was  made  of.  '  Oh,  save 
me —  save  me  !  '  he  cried  ;  and  he  began  to  cry 
as  hard  as  he  could. 

"  '  I'll  catch  him,'  cried  every  one  of  those 
dreadful  creatures  hunting  for  him.  And  at 
last  one  great  big  giant  boy  seized  him,  and 
carried  him  off  in  triumph  ;  but  the  others  ran 
after  him,  trying  to  get  the  pumpkin  away  ;  and 
there  was  such  a  dreadful  time  as  they  tossed 
poor  Mr.  Tip  Top  back  and  forth  like  a  big 
yellow  ball,  that  his  head  spun  round  and  round 


THE    RUNAWAY    PUMPKIN. 


225 


on  his  shoulders,  until  old  Father  Giant  roared 
out,  '  Stop  playing  with  him  ;  for  the  pot  is  boil- 
ing hot  now,  and  I'm  going  to  have  him  for  my 
supper.  I  won't  wait  for  the  elephant  and  the 
little  lions,  for  I'm  very,  very  hungry.'  And  the 
pumpkin  was  so  scared  at  that,  that  he  gave  a 
great  jump,  and  rolled  away  into  a  crack  in 
the  floor;  and  al- 
though every  one 
of  those  giants  and 
giantesses  got 
down  on  their 
knees  and  flattened 
their  faces  to  see 
him,  they  couldn't 
get  him  out.  And 
old  Father  Giant, 
in  great  anger,  said 
he  would  have  to 
stay  there  till  the  next  day,  when  he  would 
send  for  the  carpenter  to  take  up  the  floor. 
Then  he  should  be  boiled  in  the  pot  for  a 
sweet  morsel  with  his  dinner.  Oh,  how  poor 
Mr.  Tip  Top  shivered  and  shook ! 

"And  about  the  middle  of  the  night,  when 
not  a  single  person  was  awake,  and  every  thing 


'  Pumpkii 


say,  Pumpkin,  don't  you 
hear  me  ?  " 


226      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

was  as  still  as  a  mouse,  there  came  a  little  call 
just  beside  the  crack,  '  Pumpkin  !  say,  Pumpkin, 
don't  you  hear  me  ? ' 

"  '  Oh,  I  guess  I  do  ! '  said  poor  yellow  Mr.  Tip 
Top;  '  it's  Johnny  Stebbins.' 

"  '  Yes  'tis,'  said  the  voice,  'it's  Johnny  Steb- 
bins, and  I've  come  to  save  you.' 

"'If  you  will  only  get  me  out  of  here,'  said 
the  yellow  pumpkin,  'I'll  go  home  and  be  just 
as  good.  I  never'll  run  away  in  all  this  world 
again,  never.  You  can  take  me  to  market,  and 
I'll  go  along  as  nice  as  can  be.' 

"  '  Yes,'  said  Johnny  ;  '  you  must  go  along 
good ;  for  you  see  all  the  pumpkins  have  to  be 
carried  to  market,  for  we  shouldn't  have  any- 
thing to  live  on  if  they  didn't.' 

"  '  I  know  it,'  said  Mr.  Tip  Top  quite  humbly  ; 
'  oh,  do  get  me  out ! ' 

'"Well,  I  will,'  said  Johnny;  'but  you  must 
do  just  as  I  say.'  So  the  yellow  pumpkin 
promised  he  would  ;  and  Johnny  ran  around  the 
outside  of  the  cave,  and  pretty  soon  Mr.  Tip 
Top  heard  him  say  '  Roll  over  here.'  So  the  yel- 
low pumpkin  rolled  in  the  direction  of  the  voice  ; 
and  there  was  a  hole  big  enough  for  him  to  get 
out  of,  and  oh  !  in  a  minute  there  he  was  out  in 


THE    RUNAWAY    PUMPKIN.  22/ 

the  fresh  air.  And  then  Johnny  said,  '  Roll 
home  now  as  fast  as  you  can  ;  I'm  going  to 
stay  and  scare  the  big  giant  and  Mrs.  Giant 
and  all  the  little  giants,  and  cut  their  heads  off.' 

"  '  Oh,  dear,  Johnny  ! '  cried  Mr.  Tip  Top,  and 
he  burst  out  crying,  '  do  come  home.  He'll  kill 
you,  and  chew  your  head  off.' 

" '  Pshaw  !  no,  he  won't  ! '  said  Johnny  ;  '  and 
I've  got  to  kill  that  old  giant  and  Mrs.  Giant 
and  all  those  dreadful  giantesses,  else  they'll 
steal  all  our  pumpkins.  See  what  I've  got-;' 
and  he  ran  behind  a  big  tree,  and  came  out 
again  with  a  perfectly  horrible  head  of  a  wild 
beast  with  flaming  eyes  and  a  big  mouth  and  —  " 

"Oh,  a  jack-o-lantern  !  "  screamed  Percy  and 
Van  and  Dick  together. 

Polly  nodded  gayly  and  dashed  on.  "  Mr.  Tip 
Top  took  one  look  at  it,  and  he  said  very 
bravely,  '  I'm  going  to  stay  too,  and  help  you. 
Make  me  look  like  that.'  So  in  two  minutes 
Mr.  Tip  Top  had  flaming  eyes  in  him,  and  a 
horrible  big  mouth,  out  of  which  he  kept  say- 
ing, '  Now  we'll  scare  them  twice  as  soon. 
Come  on,  Johnny ! '  And  in  they  crept  into 
the  cave. 

"  Oh,  dear !  you   never  heard    such   screams 


225      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

and  roars  !  The  giant  called  for  his  sword,  and 
his  servants  ;  and  then  he  huddled  under  the 
bed-clothes,  and  pulled  them  up  over  his  ears. 
So  Johnny  cut  off  his  head  easy  enough  ;  and 
Mrs.  Giant  ran  screaming  out  of  the  cave,  and 
she  was  going  so  fast  she  couldn't  stop  herself 
running  down  the  hill,  and  so  she  rolled  into 
the  pond  at  the  bottom  ;  and  all  the  little  Giant 
boys  and  girls  ran  this  way  and  that  and 
climbed  into  the  trees,  so  they  were  all  caught, 
and  the  servants  too.  And  then  Johnny  took 
a  great  piece  of  sealing-wax  he  had  brought 
along  in  his  pocket,  and  stuck  the  stone  door 
fast  so  it  couldn't  be  opened.  And  then  away 
he  and  Mr.  Tip  Top  went  home. 

"  And  Farmer  Stebbins  was  so  pleased  with 
Mr.  Tip  Top  that  he  said  he  should  sit  up  on 
top  of  the  big  old  clock  in  the  kitchen.  And 
there  he  is  now,  I  suppose  !  "  finished  Polly  with 
a  flourish. 


THE    ROBBERS    AND    THEIR    BAGS.  22Q 


XV. 

THE    ROBBERS    AND    THEIR    BAGS. 

" /^\H,   dear  me!"    exclaimed    Polly,   "what 

V_y  shall  I  tell  about?"  She  had  just  run 
into  the  library  after  her  music  lesson  was 
over,  and  Monsieur  had  tripped  off  on  the  tips 
of  his  toes,  his  waxed  mustache-ends  trembling 
with  delight  in  his  enthusiasm  over  Madamoi- 
selle  Peppaire  and  her  progress.  "  I  can't 
think  of  an  earthly  thing  to  make  a  story  of;" 
and  she  wrinkled  her  brows  in  dismay. 

"  Let  her  off,  Van,"  cried  Jasper. 

"  No,  no,  no ! "  cried  Van,  in  alarm  ;  "  she 
said  she'd  tell  a  story  as  soon  as  she  got  through 
her  music  lesson." 

"  Yes,  she  did,"  said  Percy ;  "  and  it  rains, 
and  we  can't  go  out,  you  know,  Jasper,"  and 
he  gazed  dismally  from  the  long  window. 

"  Oh,  I'll  tell  it ! "  Polly  made  haste  to  say. 
"  I  did  promise  it,  boys,  and  you  shall  have  it, 


230      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

so  come  over  here  ; "  and  she  ran  to  the  corner 
with  the  cushioned  seats  under  the  windows. 
"  Now,  then,  let  me  see,  —  oh,  I'll  tell  you  about 
the  Robbers  and  their  Bags,"  she  announced, 
saying  the  first  thing  that  came  into  her  head. 

"  Oh  !  oh  !  oh  !  "  screamed  the  boys  in  the 
greatest  glee,  while  little  Dick,  quite  overcome 
with  the  idea,  rushed  out  in  the  hall  to  pro- 
claim the  fact  to  the  first  person  he  might 
meet,  who  chanced  to  be  his  grandfather. 

"  Polly's  going  to  tell  us  a  story  about  rob- 
bers, and  she's  got  bags,  and  just  everything," 
he  screamed  excitedly. 

"  Hoity-toity,  Dick,"  exclaimed  old  Mr.  King, 
whose  plans  for  the  day  had  all  been  set  aside 
by  the  rain.  "  You  must  look  where  you  are 
going,  child,  and  not  run  into  people  so,"  as 
little  Dick  stumbled  up  against  him. 

"  But  she  is,  Grandpapa  ;  she  really  and  truly 
is,"  cried  Dick  positively. 

"  Who  is  ?  And  going  to  do  what  ? "  de- 
manded Mr.  King. 

"  Polly  ;  and  she's  going  to  tell  us  a  perfectly 
splendid  story."  And  then  away  Dick  dashed 
back  to  the  library  again. 

"  In  that  case,"  observed  the  old  gentleman 


THE    ROBBERS    AND    THEIR    BAGS.  23! 

to  himself,  "  I  might  as  well  add  myself  to  the 
youngsters ;  and  Phronsie  will  probably  be 
there."  So  as  he  had  been  waiting  till  Polly 
should  be  through  with  her  music  lesson,  for 
Phronsie  always  sat  patiently  with  one  of  her 
numerous  dolls,  in  the  long  drawing-room,  on 
these  occasions,  he  marched  to  the  scene  of  the 
hilarity  over  the  story,  which  was  now  fairly 
launched. 

"And  so  you  see,"  Polly  was  saying,  as  he 
opened  the  door.  "  Oh,  boys,  here  comes  dear 
Grandpapa  ! " 

All  the  boys  were  on  their  feet  in  an  instant 
to  get  old  Mr.  King  the  best  chair  in  the  room, 
an  attention  which  pleased  him  immensely;  and 
he  was  soon  seated  in  their  circle,  Joel  planting 
himself  down  on  the  floor  at  his  feet.  Phronsie 
looked  over  from  Polly's  lap,  where  she  was 
snuggling.  "  Does  your  head  ache,  Grand- 
papa ? "  she  asked  gently. 

"  It  feels  as  if  it  were  going  to,  all  the  while, 
Phronsie,"  said  the  old  gentleman  artfully. 

Phronsie  put  up  one  little  hand  and  patted 
Polly's  cheek.  "  I  must  go  and  sit  with  Grand- 
papa, Polly,"  she  whispered,  "  and  keep  him 
from  being  sick."  And  she  got  down,  and  hur- 


232      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

ried  over  to  climb  in  his  lap.  "  Now  I  guess  it 
won't  ache,  Grandpapa,  dear,"  she  said,  smooth- 
ing his  white  hair  gently. 

"  It  won't  now  you  are  here,  Phronsie," 
said  old  Mr.  King,  holding  her  close.  "Now, 
then,  Polly,  my  girl,  let  us  hear  that  wonderful 
story." 

So  Polly  began  again.  "Well,  you  see,  it's 
all  about  some  robbers,  and  "  • 

"  Make  'em  be  big,  and  ever  so  many  of 
them,"  cried  Joel. 

"  Oh,  Joe,  be  quiet !  "  warned  Jasper.  "  Polly 
can't  get  on  at  all  if  you  are  going  to  interrupt 
every  minute." 

"  Joel's  always  breaking  in,"  cried  Percy 
wrathfully.  "Do  stop  him,  Grandpapa." 

"  I'll  stick  a  pin  in  him,"  said  Van  pleasantly, 
who  sat  next. 

"O  Van  !  "  exclaimed  Polly. 

"  Here,  you  two  boys,"  cried  the  old  gentle- 
man, "  you  mind  what  you're  about,  both  of 
you.  Joe,  don't  you  let  me  hear  of  your  stop- 
ping Polly  ;  and  do  you,  master  Van,  keep  your 
pins  to  yourself.  Now,  then,  Polly,  begin 
again." 

So  Polly,  with  a  nod  and  a  reassuring  smile 


THE    ROBBERS    AND    THEIR    BAGS.  233 

for  him,  rushed  on.  "Well,  you  see,  these 
robbers  lived  in  a  cave  dark  and  big ;  it  was 
against  a  mountain,  around  which  ran  a  lonely 
road.  Nobody  ever  went  that  way  who  could 
help  it,  because  for  years  and  years  robbers 
had  been  there,  and  scared  all  the  travellers 
away.  So,  you  see,  the  robbers  had  it  pretty 
much  to  themselves.  Well,  at  the  end  of  the 
long  and  lonely  road  was  a  little  village.  It  was 
about  as  big  as  Badgertown,  but  not  nearly  so 
pretty,"  said  Polly,  with  a  light  in  her  brown  eyes. 

"  Bad  —  ger  "  —  began  Joel. 

"  Ugh  !  "  exclaimed  Van  at  him,  while  Grand- 
papa held  up  a  warning  finger. 

"  Yes,  it  was  just  about  as  big,"  said  Polly. 
"  Well,  there  were  some  men  who  were  pretty 
rich  lived  there  in  fine  smart  houses,  about  six 
—  no,  I  guess  a  dozen  of  them,  and  the  robbers 
had  waited  a  good  while  to  see  if  they  would 
come  down  their  long  and  lonely  road.  But 
they  never  had  ;  for  you  see,  whenever  they 
had  to  get  to  the  next  place,  they  went  clear 
away  the  other  side  of  the  mountain,  and  so 
kept  off  from  the  dreadful  robbers  and  their 
cave.  Well,  so  one  night,  all  the  robbers  sat 
and  made  up  a  plan,  and  "  — 


234      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

"  How  many  ?  "  began  Joel  abruptly.  But 
one  look  at  old  Mr.  King  stopped  him. 

"Well,  there  were  just  about  a  hundred  rob- 
bers," said  Polly,  seeing  it  was  expected  of  her- 
to  have  a  good  number. 

"  Oh,  my  !  "  exclaimed  Percy. 

"  And  they  all  decided  that  as  the  splendid 
rich  men,  who  lived  in  the  big  houses,  wouldn't 
come  to  them,  they  would  go  after  them." 

"  Oh,  dear  !  "  said  little  Dick. 

"  Yes,  and  so  the  head  robber,  —  oh,  he  was 
too  perfectly  splendid  to  look  at,"  —  cried  Polly, 
waxing  enthusiastic,  as  she  looked  at  her  ab- 
sorbed audience,  "  he  was  all  dressed  up  in 
red  velvet,  and  a  white  plume  in  his  hat  that 
trailed  off  in  the  air,  and  he  had  a  long  sword 
in  his  belt,  and  it  clanked  every  step  he  took, 
and  two  or  three  knives  and  pistols  —  oh!  and 
other  things  stuck  in  round  his  waist,  so  he 
was  perfectly  dreadful  too.  Well,  he  told 
twelve  of  his  robbers  to  go  and  catch  the 
splendid  rich  men,  and  get  all  their  money, 
and  "  - 

"How  did  they  get  it,  Polly?"  cried  Percy. 

"  Ho  !  Ho  !  who's  interrupting  now  ?  "  cried 
Van,  bursting  into  a  laugh. 


THE  ROBBERS  AND  THEIR  BAGS.     235 

"  Hush  ! "  said  Jasper,  over  at  Percy,  who 
ducked  immediately. 

"You'll  see,"  said  Polly  gayly.  "Well,  so 
one  dark  night,  —  oh  !  you  couldn't  see  your  hand 
before  your  face  hardly,  —  don't  you  think,  all 
the  twelve  splendid  rich  men  got  twelve  letters  — 
I  mean  each  man  got  one  —  saying  he  was  to  go 
off,  just  as  quick  as  he  could  go,  over  to  the  big 
house  where  the  minister  lived,  'cause  he  wanted 
to  see  him  on  very  important  business  indeed, 
and  he  couldn't  wait  a  minute.  So  every  single 
one  of  those  twelve  splendid  rich  men  started 
from  his  home,  and  ran  as  hard  as  he  could. 
And  before  he  had  gone  very  far,  he  met  a 
man,  —  he  didn't  see  him,  it  was  so  dark,  but 
he  ran  up  against  him,  and  they  nearly  knocked 
each  other  over. 

"  '  Stop,  there ! '  roared  the  man,  that  the 
man  who  was  running  knocked  up  against. 
'  What  are  you  doing,  tumbling  me  down  in 
this  fashion  ? ' 

" '  Oh  !  I  didn't  mean  to,'  said  the  poor  man 
very  humbly ;  and  he  couldn't  breathe  very 
well,  because,  you  see,  he'd  been  running  so 
fast,  and  he'd  bumped  into  the  other  one  so 
suddenly.  '  I  won't  do  it  again  ;  but  the  minis- 


236  STORIES    POLLY    PEPPER    TOLD. 

ter,  I  expect,  is  sick,  so  excuse  me  ; '  and  he 
tried  to  go  by. 

" '  No,  you  don't  go  any  farther,'  roared  the 
other  man  at  him,  in  a  dreadful  voice  ;  and  he 
pulled  out  from  under  his  arm  a  big  bag,  and 
popped  it  over  the  head  of  the  poor  man  who 
had  been  running,  and  then  he  tumbled  him 
upside  down,  and  shook  him  around  in  the  bag 
down  into  the  bottom  of  it,  and  then  he  tied  up 
the  neck." 

"  O  Polly !  tied  up  the  man's  neck  ?  "  asked 
Ben. 

"  No,  I  mean  the  neck  of  the  bag,"  said  Polly. 
"Then  he  set  the  bag,  with  the  man  in  it,  on 
a  big  stone  by  the  roadside.  '  Now,  there  you 
must  stay,  till  I  come  for  you,'  he  said  ;  and  he 
laughed  as  hard  as  he  could,  and  hopped  off  in 
the  darkness." 

"  Oh  !  oh  !  oh  !  "  cried  all  the  group,  with 
smothered  exclamations. 

"  Yes,  and  away  he  went  to  find  the  other 
eleven  robbers  ;  they  each  had  a  bag,  you  know, 
just  like  his.  Well,  every  time  one  of  them 
met  one  of  the  splendid  rich  men  running  to 
the  minister's  house,  why,  the  robber  pulled 
out  his  big  bag  from  under  his  arm,  and  popped 


THE    ROBBERS    AND    THEIR    BAGS.  237 

it  over  the  other  man's  head,  and  turned  him 
upside  down,  and  shook  him  into  the  bottom  of 
the  bag,  and  then  tied  up  the  neck,  —  the  neck 
of  the  bag,  I  mean, — and  then  put  him  on  a 
big  stone  by  the  roadside,  and  told  him  to  stay 
there  until  he  came  back  for  him.  And  then 
those  twelve  robbers  just  looked  at  each  other, 
and  said  they  wanted  to  sit  down  and  rest." 

"  I  should  think  they'd  want  to,"  said  Ben, 
under  his  breath. 

"  Well,  and  then  one  of  them  said  suddenly, 
'  Come,  now,  let's  go  to  the  first  house  belong- 
ing to  those  men  in  the  bags  ;  we'll  find  bushels 
of  gold  I  expect  in  the  cellar,  and  "  — 

"And  did  they?"  screamed  Van,  forgetting 
himself. 

"Ho!  ho!  who's  talking  now  ?"  cried  Percy, 
with  a  disagreeable  little  laugh. 

"  Hush  !  "  said  old  Mr.  King,  holding  up  a 
warning  finger  at  both  of  them. 

"  And  so  they  ran  softly  off  on  the  tips  of 
their  toes,"  said  Polly,  hurrying  on  ;  "  and  be- 
fore any  one  could  breathe,  hardly,  there  they 
were  in  the  house  of  one  of  the  perfectly  splen- 
did rich  men.  Now,  there  was  a  wise  old  cat 
there,  living  in  that  very  house.  She  was  all 


238      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

black  but  two  green  eyes  —  no,  I  guess  this 
cat  had  yellow  eyes,  yellow  with  long  black 
stripes  in  them  that  grew  big  when  she  was 
angry.  Now,  she  knew  everything  almost, 
and  she  was  as  good  as  she  was  clever.  Well, 
she  just  softly  tripped  along  to  her  mistress's 
bed,  and  hopped  up,  and  whispered  in  her  ear, 
'  Don't  you  be  afraid,  mistress  dear,  but  lie 
perfectly  still,  and  I'll  take  care  of  those  robber 
men,  and  won't  let  them  hurt  you ; '  so  the  mis- 
tress turned  over,  and  went  to  sleep  again." 

"  She  was  a  nice  cat,"  said  Phronsie,  pausing 
in  her  work  of  patting  old  Mr.  King's  white 
hair  to  turn  and  look  at  Polly  ;  "  and  I  like  her, 
I  do,"  as  Polly  sent  a  smile  over  to  her,  and 
then  raced  on. 

"  Well,  the  cat  ran  off  on  the  tips  of  her  toes, 
and  hopped  up  to  the  kitchen  shelf,  and  took 
down  in  her  mouth  a  long,  sharp  knife  ;  and  then 
she  flew  out  of  the  back  door,  I  tell  you,  oh  !  so 
fast,  and  away  off.  And  pretty  soon  she  came 
up  to  a  big  bag  with  a  man  inside  it,  sitting  on 
a  stone  by  the  roadside.  '  Master,  dear,'  she 
cried,  hopping  up  to  put  her  mouth  close  to 
the  bag,  '  is  that  you  ? ' 

" '  Oh,  dear  me,  yes !  '  said  the  poor  man  in 


THE  ROBBERS  AND  THEIR  BAGS.     239 

the  bag,  in  a  muffled  voice,  'and  I  should  like 
very  much  to  get  out.' 

"'Well,'  said  the  wise  old  cat,  'I'll  let  you 
out  in  a  minute.'  So  she  took  the  sharp  knife 
in  her  paw,  and  she  just  slashed  it  good  through 
the  string  that  tied  up  the  neck  of  the  bag, 
and  in  a  minute  out  popped  the  man,  and  stood 
up  on  his  feet.  And  then  they  heard  a  cry, 
'  Oh,  dear  me,  I'd  like  to  get  out ! '  and,  don't 
you  think,  right  around  the  corner  was  another 
big  bag  with  a  man  inside  it,  all  tied  up  around 
the  neck,  and  sitting  on  a  stone  by  the  road- 
side. And  so  the  man  that  had  just  got  out 
and  his  wise  old  cat,  who  slipped  the  sharp 
knife  into  her  mouth  again,  rushed  around  the 
corner ;  and  the  cat  took  the  knife  in  her  paw 
before  her  master  had  a  chance  to,  and  she 
just  slashed  it  through  the  string  that  tied  up 
the  bag,  and  in  a  minute  that  man,  too,  was 
out,  and  standing  on  his  feet  on  the  ground." 

Phronsie  laughed  in  delight,  and  clapped 
her  hands.  "Polly,  I  like  that  cat,  and  she's 
good,"  she  cried  again,  dreadfully  excited. 

"  So  she  is,  Pet,"  cried  Polly,  nodding  away 
to  her.  Then  she  raced  on. 

"  Well,    those    two    men   stared    into    each 


240      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

other's  faces  ;  and  one  said,  '  Well,  I  declare, 
how  do  you  do,  Mr.  Brown  ? '  and  the  other 
man  said,  '  Well,  I  declare,  how  do  you  do, 
Mr.  Smith?'  And  just  then  they  all  heard 
a  little  cry ;  and  around  another  corner  was 
another  bag  all  tied  up  just  as  the  other  two 
had  been,  and  sitting  on  a  stone  by  the  road- 
side. And  then  the  wise  old  cat  did  just  as  she 
had  done  before ;  and  pretty  soon  there  were 
three  men  standing  up  quite  straight  on  the 
ground,  and  they  all  said,  'This  is  perfectly 
dreadful,  isn't  it  ? ' 

"  '  Now,  I  tell  you,  sirs,'  said  the  wise  old 
cat,  sitting  down  before  them,  and  staring  at 
them  very  hard,  '  I've  got  a  plan  in  my  head, 
and  you  must  do  as  I  say.' 

"  '  Indeed  you  must,'  whispered  her  master  to 
the  others,  'because  when  she  looks  like  that, 
she  knows  how  to  do  things.  And  she's  got 
something  on  her  mind.' 

"'Just  as  soon  as  we  find  all  the  men  in  this 
town  who  are  tied  up  in  bags,  and  set  on  stones 
by  the  roadside,  and  get  them  out,'  said  the 
wise  old  cat,  'we  must  hurry  right  home.  But 
we've  got  to  have  twelve  men,'  and  she  bobbed 
her  head  to  herself ;  but  she  didn't  tell  her 


THE  ROBBERS  AND  THEIR  BAGS.     24! 

master  that  there  were  twelve  robbers  in  his 
house,  for,  you  see,  she  had  counted  them. 

"  And  all  this  while  those  twelve  robbers 
were  eating  up  the  mince-pies  that  belonged  to 
that  cat's  mistress,  and  there  she  was  going  to 
have  all  the  cousins  over  to  dinner  the  very 
next  day.  And  those  dreadful  robbers  sat  on 
the  kitchen  table,  and  ate,  and  ate,  and  ate. 
And  then  they  drank  up  all  the  milk." 

Phronsie  stirred  uneasily,  and  looked  very  sad 
over  this ;  so  Polly  hastened  to  sa'y,  before  she 
could  ask  the  question,  "  except  some  in  the 
pitcher  up  on  the  top  shelf,  that  was  put  there 
for  the  littlest  little  girl." 

But  still  Phronsie's  face  was  very  grave. 
"  Won't  there  be  any  left  for  that  nice  old  cat 
when  she  gets  home,  Polly  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  You  must  make  some  be  reserved  for  that 
cat,  Polly,"  said  Grandpapa,  nodding  furiously 
over  at  Polly. 

"  Dear  me,  yes.  We  wouldn't  let  that  wise 
old  cat  go  without  hers ! "  exclaimed  Polly, 
quickly.  "Such  a  dear  as  she  is!  Oh,  there 
was  a  whole  bowl  full,  Phronsie,  on  another 
shelf,  clear  way  back,  that  the  robbers  didn't 


242      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

Phronsie  leaned  back  and  put  her  head  on 
old  Mr.  King's  breast,  while  she  drew  a  long 
sigh  of  relief.  "  Please  tell  some  more,  Polly," 
she  begged. 

"  Well,  so  the  wise  old  cat  gave  three  nods 
over  to  the  three  men  waiting  there  for  her  to 
tell  them  things,  and  she  said  to  each  of  them, 
'  Now  put  your  bag  under  your  arm,  you'll 
want  it  before  long,  and  follow  me  ; '  and  away 
she  trotted  on  the  tips  of  her  toes,  till  she  had 
found  ana  untied  nine  other  men  inside  of  big 
bags,  and  sitting  on  stones  on  the  roadside. 

"  '  Um  —  '  said  the  cat,  her  paw  on  her  mouth, 
'  I  guess  this  is  all ;  anyway,  we've  got  twelve. 
Now  we  must  run,  for  master  has  a  dozen  rob- 
bers in  his  house.  Now,  says  I,  .see  who  gets 
there  first.'  " 

"And  which  did?"  cried  Percy,  and  Van, 
and  Joel,  and  David,  all  together ;  Jasper  and 
Ben  laughing  to  hear  the  babel. 

"Oh,  the  wise  old  cat,  of  course  !  "  said  Polly, 
laughing  too.  "You  didn't  think  I'd  let  any- 
body beat  her,  did  you  ?  Well,  she  was  waiting 
there  on  the  front  door-step,  as  they  all  came 
puffing  and  panting  up.  '  Now,  do  just  as  I 
say,'  she  whispered  into  their  ears,  'and  each 


THE    ROBBERS    AND    THEIR    BAGS.  243 

of  you  pick  out  the  robber  you  see  first,  as  you 
go  in,  and  rush  up  and  pop  your  bag  over  his 
head,   and  tie  it  down  fast  with  your  string, 
before    he    can    scream. 
They're    just     getting 
through    eating    mince- 
pie  ; '  for,  you  see,  while 
she  was  waiting  for  these 
men    to    come,   she    had 
taken  the  time  to  creep 
along  the  window-sill  and 
peep  within  the  kitchen. 

"  '  Oh  !  oh  ! '  cried  her 
master  ;  '  eating  up  my 
wife's  mince-pies,  the  vil- 
lains ! ' 

" '  Now  follow  me  ! '  the 
cat  commanded.  'Have  all 
your  bags  ready  ! '  and  in 
they  rushed.  And  every 

man    CaUght    a     robber   by     Mrs-  Whitney  heard  the  noise,  and 
0  ran   in  to  see  what  the  fun  was. 

flopping  his  big  bag  over 

his  head  before  he  saw  him  coming,  and  then 
they  every  one  tied  the  neck  of  the  bag  up 
just  as  it  had  been  done  before,  and  while  the 
robbers  wriggled  and  screamed,  and  beat  and 


244      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

kicked,  as  the  bags  were  shaken  up  and  down, 
they  couldn't  get  out.  And  the  wise  old  cat 
went  around  to  each  bag.  '  Yes,'  she  said, 
quite  satisfied;  'the  knots  are  all  fast.'" 

"  Oh,  wasn't  that  perfectly  splendid  !  "  shouted 
Joel.  And  everybody  was  so  delighted  with 
the  capture  of  the  robbers  that  they  forgot  to 
reprove  him.  And  Phronsie  clapped  her  little 
hands,  and  crowed  and  laughed  with  the  rest ; 
and  Mrs.  Whitney  heard  the  noise  and  ran  in 
to  see  \vhat  the  fun  was.  "  Well,  I  declare," 
she  exclaimed,  hurrying  over  to  their  corner, 
"to  think  I've  missed  this  splendid  time  !" 

"Oh,  Mamma!"  cried  little  Dick,  hopping 
out  of  the  centre  of  the  circle  closing  around 
Polly  ;  "  she's  been  telling  us  beautiful  things 
about  robbers  and  —  cats  —  and"  — 

"No,  she  hasn't,"  contradicted  Van,  "it's 
only  one  cat.  Dick's  so  little ;  he  doesn't  know 
anything  "  — 

"  O  Vanny  !  "  reproved  his  mother. 

"And  I'm  not  little,"  cried  little  Dick  wrath- 
fully,  and  standing  very  tall.  "  And  she  did 
tell  about  robbers  —  Polly  Pepper  did." 

"Well,  you  said  cats"  said  Percy;  "and 
'twasn't  but  one." 


THE  ROBBERS  AND  THEIR  BAGS.     245 

"Never  mind,"  said  Jasper;  "this  one  was 
wise  enough  for  a  dozen  cats.  Do  stay,  Sister 
Marian ;  it's  a  fine  story,"  turning  his  kindling 
face  toward  her. 

"  Indeed  I  will,"  she  cried  ;  so  he  jumped  up, 
and  pulled  forward  an  easy-chair,  and  Polly  waited 
till  she  was  seated  in  its  comfortable  depths. 

"  Now,  Polly,"  said  Mrs.  Whitney,  with  her 
sweetest  smile,  "  I  am  as  anxious  as  any  of 
these  young,  creatures  for  this  enchanting 
story."  So  Polly  hurried  on. 

"  Where  was  I  ?     Let  me  see  "  — 

"  The  robbers  were  tied  up  in  the  bags,"  they 
all  shouted  at  her. 

"Don't  you  know?"  added  Joel,  not  very 
politely.  "  Why,  Polly  Pepper,  have  you  for- 
gotten?" 

"  Hush  !"  said  Jasper  warningly. 

"  Oh,  yes,  indeed  !  "  exclaimed  Polly.  "  Well, 
and  then  the  cat  cried  in  a  very  loud  voice, 
'Now  I  must  go  and  wake  mistress.'  So  she 
ran  up  into  the  bedroom,  and  she  skipped 
upon  the  bed,  and  she  called  close  to  her  ear, 
'  Wake  up,  mistress  dear,  the  robbers  are  all 
caught,  and  waiting  for  you.'  And  so  her  mis- 
tress turned  over,  and  opened  her  eyes  ;  and  she 


246      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

looked  at  the  cat,  and  said,  'Is  that  so  ?'  And 
then  she  sat  up  straight ;  and  then  she  hopped 
off  from  the  bed,  and  ran  down  the  stairs  after 
the  wise  old  cat. 

"  '  Shoulder  your  bags,  every  one  of  you ! ' 
commanded  the  cat,  running  into  the  kitchen  ; 
and  she  jumped  up  to  the  table  to  see  that  they 
obeyed.  And  every  man  picked  up  the  bag 
that  had  the  robber  inside  it,  that  he  had  caught, 
and  he  swung  it  off  up  on  his  shoulder. 

"  '  Now  away  to  jail ! '  shouted  the  cat." 

"  '  Hooray  !  "  screamed  Joel,  beating  his  hands 
together  in  great  excitement. 

"At  the  word  'jail,'  every  robber  inside  of  a 
bag  began  to  scream,  and  beg  to  be  let  out, 
and  "  — 

"Oh,  do  let  them  out!"  begged  Phronsie. 
"Please  do,  Polly." 

"  Oh,  Phronsie,  I  can't !  "  said  Polly.  "  They 
are  bad,  naughty,  wicked  robbers,  you  know  ; 
and  they'd  kill  that  nice,  dear  old  cat,  maybe, 
if  they  got  out." 

"  Would  they  ?  "  asked  Phronsie  anxiously. 

"Yes,  indeed,"  cried  all  the  little  circle  to- 
gether. 

"  I  really  think,  Phronsie,"  added  Grandpapa 


THE    ROBBERS    AND    THEIR    BAGS. 


247 


decidedly,  "  that  it  is  not  safe  for  Polly  to  let 
those  bad  robbers  out." 

"  Don't  tie  the  bags  up  very  tight,  then, 
please,  Polly,"  begged  Phronsie. 

"  Polly  will  fix  it   all 
right,     Phronsie,"     said 
Jasper,    with    a    smile. 
Polly  thanked  him  with 
a    little    nod, 
and     hurried 
on.      "Well, 
so  you  see,  off 
they  all  went 
to  jail.  It  was 
a    great  big 
stone  house, 
oh  !  as  big  as 

three  or  four  houses  that 
folks  live  in,  and  there  was 

a  row  of  pens  that" —          . 
* 

"  Pig-penS  ?  "    asked   Joel         The  robbers  and  their  bags. 

abruptly. 

"  Dear  me,  no,"  said  Polly,  with  a  little  laugh. 
"They  were  prisoners'  pens  ;  and  the  wise  old 
cat  just  raced  along  as  hard  as  she  could,  all 
the  twelve  men,  with  their  bags  on  their  backs, 


248      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

coming  after.  And  she  spoke  up,  as  bold  as  you 
please,  to  the  man  at  the  gate,  who  had  a  big 
iron  key  in  his  hand,  oh  !  as  big  as  could  be, 
'  I've  got  a  dozen  robbers  for  you  to  shut  up 
and  keep  fast.' 

"At  that  the  man  at  the  gate  put  his  big  key 
in  the  lock  —  open  flew  the  gate,  and  in  went  all 
the  dozen  robbers  in  their  bags  on  the  twelve 
men's  backs,  with  the  wise  old  cat  at  the  head 
of  the  procession  ;  and  in  a  minute  they  were 
each  in  one  of  the  little  pens,  and  "  — 

"  Couldn't  they  take  off  the  bags  then, 
Polly?"  cried  Phronsie.  "Please  let  them  for 
a  very  little  bit  of  a  while." 

"Yes,"  said  Polly,  "  they  did.  The  wise  old 
cat  asked  the  gateman,  who  locked  them  all  in, 
to  undo  the  bags. 

" '  But  you  can  have  only  your  heads  out,' 
said  the  gateman  to  the  robbers,  clanking  his 
big  key  against  the  wall,  '  so  you  can  see 
things.'  And  he  tied  the  bags  all  up  around 
their  necks  ;  each  head  stuck  out,  you  know, 
and  the  bag  was  drawn  up  in  a  ruffle,  and  tied 
fast." 

"  Oh  !  "  exclaimed  Phronsie. 

"  But    that    was    much    better,"   said   Jasper 


THE    ROBBERS    AND    THEIR    BAGS.  249 

cheerfully.  "Just  think,  Phronsie,  to  get  their 
heads  out." 

"  Yes,"  said  Phronsie  slowly. 

"And  the  next  day  the  judge,  the  man  who 
sat  on  a  platform  at  the  end  of  the  big  hall,  told 
one  of  the  servants  to  bring  a  big  bell,  and  call 
everybody  in,  and  to  scream  as  loud  as  he  could, 
'Twelve  robbers  in  bags  to  be  sentenced.'  And 
the  people  kept  coming  in,  and  coming  in,  and 
coming  in,  until  there  was  only  a  little  path  in 
the  centre  for  them  to  bring  the  robbers  in  ; 
and  pretty  soon  the  man  with  the  bell  went  up 
and  down,  and  roared  out,  '  Bring  the  robbers 
in  ! '  And  twelve  other  servants  went  out  and 
got  them,  and  set  them  up  in  a  row  right  in 
front  of  the  judge  on  the  platform"  — 

"  And  were  their  heads  out  ?  "  asked  Phron- 
sie. 

"  Yes,  their  heads  were  all  out,  the  bags  were 
tied  in  ruffles,  you  know,  around  their  necks  ; 
and  they  tried  to  get  on  their  knees  to  beg  the 
judge  not  to  kill  them  ;  but  instead,  they  flopped 
over,  and  the  servants  had  to  go  around  among 
them  and  set  them  up  straight  again.  Well,  oh  ! 
I  forgot  to  tell  you  that  the  wise"  old  cat  sat 
up  on  the  platform,  —  the  judge  invited  her,  you 


250      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

know.  And  the  judge  whispered  something  to 
the  man  with  the  big  bell,  and  he  ran  out,  and 
came  racing  back  with  a  long  knife ;  and  after 
him  came  another  man,  wheeling  and  trundling 
a  big  grindstone  "  — 

"  Oh  !  "  screamed  Joel,  in  the  greatest  glee  ; 
"they're  going  to  chop  off  all  the  robbers 
heads,  I  know." 

"O  Polly!"  began  Phronsie,  just  ready  to 
cry. 

"Wait,  and  you'll  see,  Pet,"  said  Polly  re- 
assuringly. Old  Mr.  King  put  his  hand  over 
Phronsie's  small  ones,  and  whispered  something 
in  her  ear,  so  she  snuggled  up  against  his  breast 
once  more. 

"  Well,  oh,  let  me  see  !  where  was  I  —  oh  "  — • 

"  You  are  going  to  chop  off  all  those  robbers' 
heads,"  howled  Joel  and  Van  together. 

"'Now,'  said  the  judge,  in  a  perfectly  awful 
voice,  and  looking  at  all  those  dozen  robbers, 
'  you've  got  to  promise  to  show  the  way  to  your 
cave,  or  off  go  your  heads  ! '  and  he  pointed  to 
the  man  sharpening  up  the  long  knife  on  the 
grindstone. 

"  The  robbers  shook  so  in  their  bags  they  all 
flopped  over  again,  'and  rolled  on  the  floor.  So 


THE    ROBBERS    AND    THEIR    BAGS.  251 

somebody  had  to  go  and  set  them  all  straight 
in  a  row  once  more.  '  Hurry  up,'  cried  the 
judge,  'and  say  "Yes,"  for  the  knife  is  ready.' 

"  The  man  sharpening  up  the  long  knife  be- 
gan to  brandish  it  in  the  air  over  the  head  stuck 
out  of  the  bag  of  the  robber  first  in  the  line. 

"  '  Ow  ! '  screamed  the  robber,  trying  to  draw 
his  head  under  the  ruffle.  '  I  say,  "  Yes." 

"  '  And  I  say,  "  Yes,"  screamed  every  one  of 
the  rest  of  the  robbers,  huddling  as  best  they 
could  under  their  ruffles. 

"'Very  well,  then,'  said  the  judge.  So  the 
man  with  the  knife  laid  it  down  by  the  grind- 
stone, and  the  judge  gave  his  hand  to  the  cat. 
1  You  must  go  to  the  cave,'  he  said,  '  and  cap- 
ture the  rest  of  the  robbers.'  " 

Joel  and  Van,  who  were  horribly  disappointed 
when  the  man  put  up  his  knife,  now  brightened 
up  at  prospect  of  livelier  work,  and  more  to  their 
taste,  at  the  cave.  "  Do  hurry,  Polly  ! "  they 
clamored. 

"  Well,  then  the  judge  told  the  man  who 
had  rung  the  bell  to  jingle  it  again,  and  scream 
out '  Eighty-eight  men  wanted  at  once'  because, 
you  see,  he  knew  there  were  just  one  hundred 
robbers  in  all.  And  when  they  came  in,  he 


252      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

told  them  to  go  out  and  get  a  bag  apiece,  just 
like  the  ones  the  twelve  robbers  were  in.  And 
pretty  soon  they  were  all  ready  ;  and  off  they 
started,  with  the  wise  old  cat  at  the  head  ;  and 
after  her  came  the  twelve  men  with  the  robbers 
in  the  bags,  all  but  their  heads,  because,  you 
see,  those  would  have  to  be  out,  for  them  to  see 
the  way.  And  the  robbers  said,  '  Left,  right,' 
as  they  had  to  turn,  all  along  the  way  to  the 
cave,  down  the  long  and  lonely  road.  Well, 
and  finally  they  reached  the  place,  and  they 
stopped  and  listened.  '  They  are  boiling  their 
hasty-pudding  for  supper,'  said  one  of  the  rob- 
bers, because,  you  see,  all  the  men  made  them 
tell  things. 

"  '  This-  is  the  time,  then,'  said  the  wise  old 
cat  to  the  first  robber.  '  Now  do  you  call  out 
big  and  loud  to  let  you  in.'  So  the  robber  did 
it ;  he  had  to,  you  know  ;  and  a  voice  inside  said, 
'  Oh  !  that  you,  Jim,  back  again  ?  '  and  the  great 
stone  door  flew  open  ;  and,  just  as  quick  as  you 
could  think,  there  they  were  all  inside ;  and 
every  man  pulled  out  a  bag  from  under  his 
arms,  and  flopped  it  over  the  head  of  a  robber, 
all  except  the  robber  who  was  stirring  the 
hasty-pudding  over  a  big  iron  kettle,  —  he  fell 


THE    ROBBERS    AND    THEIR    BAGS.  253 

into  the  kettle  instead,  because  he  ducked  his 
head  when  he  saw  the  bag  coming.  Well,  and 
oh!  they  were  all  hauled  off  to  jail;  but  first 
the  nice  old  cat  took  some  sealing-wax  she  had 
been  wise  enough  to  bring  with  her  from  the 
jail;  and  she  stuck  the  big  stone  door  all  up 
tight,  so  that  no  more  robbers  could  use  that 
cave. 

"And  the  judge  sentenced  all  the  hundred 
robbers,  in  a  bunch,  to  a  desert  island,  where 
there  wasn't  any  cave,  nor  anybody  else,  —  not  a 
single  person  besides  themselves.  So  they  were 
all  taken  off  in  boats  the  next  day,  and  "  — 

"  And  could  they  get  out  of  their  bags 
then  ? "  asked  Phronsie,  with  a  long  breath. 

"  Yes,  after  they  got  to  the  island,"  said 
Polly,  "but  not  a  single  minute  before.  And 
as  soon  as  they  rolled  them  out  of  the  boats,  the 
men  who  brought  them  untied  the  bags,  and 
said  '  Scat ! ' '  And  away  ran  the  robbers,  and 
were  never  seen  again." 


254  STORIES    POLLY    PEPPER    TOLD. 


XVI. 

POLLY  PEPPER'S  CHICKEN-PIE. 

,  indeed,  Jasper,"  cried  Polly;  "I'll 
tell  about  the  chicken-pie  I  made  ;  only 
'twasn't  a  chicken-pie  at  all,"  and  she  broke  off 
into  a  merry  laugh. 

"Hold  on,"  cried  Ben,  "you'll  spoil  it  all, 
Polly.  Tell  the  story  first,  that's  best." 

"So  I  will,"  said  Polly.  "Well,  in  the  first 
place,  none  of  us  in  The  Little  Brown  House 
ever  knew  where  it  came  from,  to  begin  with. 
Ben  found  it  one  day  in  a  swamp  down  by  the 
meadow,  as  he  was  digging  sweet-flag  to  sell, 
to  get  some  money  to  buy  a  pair  of  boots  for  the 
winter.  It  wasn't  hurt  in  the  least,  only  it  was 
so  small  it  couldn't  get  out.  The  wonder  is, 
how  it  ever  got  there  at  all  ;  however,  Ben 
didn't  care  for  that,  so  long  as  he  could  get 
Master  Chick  in  his  possession.  So  he  took  an 
old  fence-rail ;  and  by  dint  of  poking  and  urging 


POLLY    PEPPER  S    CHICKEN-PIE. 


255 


the  chicken,  which  didn't  want  to  come,  and  by 
floundering  and  tumbling  round  in  the  bog  till 
he  was  pretty  wet  himself,  at  last  he  caught  it. 


Ben  grasped   it  tightly  under  one  arm  and  flew  home. 

"  Oh  !  you  must  know  it  was  a  fine  black 
chicken,  —  a  shanghai  ;  and  Ben  grasped  it,  oh, 
so  tightly  !  under  one  arm,  and  he  flew  home, 
and  bursting  into  the  door,  he  scared  us,  and 


256      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

he  most  upset  me,  —  I  was  helping  Mamsie  to 
pull  out  the  basting-threads  of  the  coat  she  had 
just  finished.  And,  goodness  me,  how  that 
chicken  did  scream  !  " 

"  Yes,  and  so  did  you,  most  as  bad,"  said 
Ben,  bursting  into-  a  laugh.  "  I  never  will  for- 
get ;  you  said  I'd  scared  you  most  to  death." 

"Well,  and  so  you  did,"  declared  Polly  ;  "  we 
didn't  see  that  dreadful  chicken  till  you  flapped 
it  in  our  faces.  It  was  lucky  that  the  children 
weren't  there,  or  I  don't  know  but  what  the 
roof  of  The  Little  Brown  House  would  have 
flown  off  with  the  noise." 

"  Where  were  the  children  ?  "  demanded 
Percy. 

Joel  twisted  uneasily.  It  had  always  been 
a  great  trial  to  think  of  his  absence  on  such  a 
momentous  occasion. 

Polly  answered  briskly,  "  Why,  the  two  boys 
were  down  in  Farmer  Brown's  cow-yard  ;  there 
was  a  little  hole  full  of  water,  something  like  a 
pond,  you  know  ;  and  they  were  sailing  boats, 
and  "  — 

"  Oh,  dear  me,  I  wish  we  hadn't  been ! " 
grunted  Joel.  "  I'd  rather  have  seen  the  black 
chicken  come  in." 


POLLY    PEPPERS    CHICKEN-PIE.  257 

"  And  Phronsie  had  been  put  to  bed  early. 
It  was  almost  dark,  you  know,  and  she  was 
tired  out;  so  Mamsie  and  I  were  all  alone." 

"And  Mamsie  thought  it  was  a  crow,"  said 
Ben  to  Mother  Pepper,  who  still  was  at  work 
over  her  mending -basket  the  same  as  ever. 
"  Didn't  you,  Mamsie  ?  " 

"Yes,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  with  a  smile  at  the 
remembrance.  "He  was  more  like  a  crow,  chil- 
dren, I'm  sure,  than  anything  else,  he  was  so 
black." 

"  Oh,  how  I  wish  we  could  have  seen  it ! " 
exclaimed  Percy  and  Van  together. 

"And  Ben  said  he'd  give  me  half  of  the 
chicken,"  ran  on  Polly;  "and  then  we  could 
have  him  for  Thanksgiving,  and  I  could  make 
my  pie  "  — • 

"  Oh,  you  ought  to  have  seen  Polly  dance 
when  I  told  her  that  ! "  said  Ben,  laughing 
again. 

"  Oh,  dear,  you  did  have  such  good  times  in 
The  Little  Brown  House ! "  cried  Percy-  envi- 
ously. "  Why  couldn't  we  have  been  there  !  " 

"  And  then  we  began  to  count  up  how  long 
it  would  be  to  Thanksgiving.  We'd  never  had 
one,  you  know,"  said  Polly. 


258      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

"  Never  had  a  Thanksgiving  !  "  cried  all  the 
Whitney  children  together. 

"  Hush  !  "  exclaimed  Jasper,  with  a  warning 
pull  at  the  jacket  nearest  to  him. 

"  I  remember,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  laying  down 
her  work.  "  It  was  July  then,  and  there  were 
four  months  to  wait ;  but  if  we  could  find  out 
where  the  chicken  belonged,  I  told  you,  we 
must  give  it  back." 

"  And  did  you  give  it  back  ?  —  did  you  ?  — 
did  you?"  clamored  the  Whitney  boys. 

"  No,"  said  Polly,  "  because  we  couldn't  find 
anybody  who  had  ever  seen  him  ;  so  we  put 
him  in  the  shed  where  the  old  gray  goose  was, 
and  "  — 

"  Oh  !  did  you  have  an  old  gray  goose,  Polly 
Pepper  ?  "  cried  Van.  "  Tell  about  him,  do." 

So  Polly  dilated  at  great  length  on  the  old 
gray  goose, — -how  it  was  the  only  living  thing 
they  had,  because  they  were  too  poor  to  buy 
a  cow  or  a  pig,  or  even  a  chicken,  and  how 
the  old  goose  had  lived  there  ever  since  they 
could  remember,  and  how  cross  it  was,  so  they 
couldn't  play  with  it,  and  how  it  bit  Sally 
Brown  one  day,  when  she  came  over  with  an 
errand  from  her  mother,  and  "  — 


POLLY  PEPPER'S  CHICKEN-PIE.          259 

"  Tell  about  how  it  bit  Sally  Brown,"  inter- 
rupted Van  eagerly. 

"  If  you  stop  for  everything,  Polly  never'll 
get  that  chicken-pie  baked,"  said  Ben. 

"Yes,"  said  Jasper;  "now  don't  interrupt 
again.  It's  a  shame  to  have  to  tell  stories  and 
be  stopped  every  minute." 

"  Oh,  I  don't  mind  it  !  "  said  Polly  brightly  ; 
"  only  if  you  have  all  about  Sally  Brown  and 
everything  else,  why  I  sha'n't  get  through  with 
the  chicken-pie." 

"  Go  on  about  the  chicken-pie,  then,  do, 
Polly,"  said  Van  reluctantly,  mentally  determin- 
ing to  have  the  whole  of  Sally  Brown  and  the 
old  gray  goose  some  time.  And  so  Polly  ran 
on  again,  —  how  they  always  fed  the  old  gray 
goose  every  day  most  carefully,  and  Phronsie 
saved  something  from  her  dinner  for  it  most 
especially,  and  "  — 

"It  used  to  eat  awfully,"  grumbled  Joel. 

"  Hush  !  "  said  Ben. 

"And  so  you  see,"  cried  Polly  gayly,  "how 
perfectly  fine  it  was  to  have  such  a  splendid 
chicken  come  to  us.  Seems  as  if  it  was  just  on 
purpose  for  Thanksgiving ;  for  you  must  know 
that  Mamsie  had  promised  us  a  chicken-pie 


26O      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

as  soon  as  she  could  manage  it,  and  it  was  to 
be  all  wings,  and  drumsticks,  and  wish-bones 
and  "  • 

"  O  Polly  Pepper  !  "  exclaimed  Percy,  with 
a  little  laugh.  "  Chickens  don't  have  but  one 
wish-bone  apiece." 

"  I  can't  help  it,"  retorted  Polly  recklessly ; 
"  seems  as  if  this  chicken-pie  was  going  to  be 
better  than  any  other  that  was  ever  baked  in 
all  this  world.  Oh  !  and  the  crust  was  to  be 
thick,  and  the  gravy  was  to  be  just  lovely,  and 
Phronsie  was  to  have  the  wish-bone." 

"Yes,  I  was,"  said  Phronsie,  with  a  small 
sigh,  and  folding  her  hands. 

"And  so,  you  see,  when  Mister  Shanghai 
dropped  down  from  the  clouds  in  the  way  he 
did,  why,  we  were  just  as  happy  as  we  could 
be.  Well,  every  day  when  the  work  was  done 
up  we  talked  over  just  how  that  pie  was  to 
be  baked  ;  and  when  it  was  too  dark  to  see,  for 
we  didn't  light  the  candle  any  earlier  than  we 
could  help,  and  "  — 

"  Why  didn't  you  light  the  candle  early  ? " 
asked  little  Dick,  pushing  forward  into  the 
middle  of  the  group. 

"Why,  because  we  were   poor,"  said  Polly, 


POLLY  PEPPER'S  CHICKEN-PIE.          261 

"and  we  had  to  save  the  candles  as  long  as 
we  could.  Well,  and  we  used  to  play  it 
really  was  Thanksgiving,  and  the  table  was 
set,  and  "  — 

"And  Polly  always  played  that  she  had  a 
bunch  of  flowers  to  trim  the  chicken  with," 
said  Ben. 

"Well,  and  now  something  very  dreadful 
happened,"  said  Polly  ;  "  very  dreadful  indeed. 
I  won't  tell  you  what  it  was,  but "  — 

"  Oh,  tell,  tell,  Polly  Pepper,  do !  "  cried  all 
the  Whitney  boys  in  a  clamor. 

"No,  not  just  yet,"  said  Polly,  shaking  her 
brown  head  decidedly  ;  "  because  that  would 
spoil  the  story.  But  I'm  going  to  pretend 
that  the  old  gray  goose  and  the  black  chicken 
could  talk  together,  and  tell  you  what  they 
said." 

"And  then  will  you  tell  us  the  perfectly 
dreadful  thing  that  happened  ? "  asked  Van 
anxiously ;  while  the  others  cried  delightedly, 
"  Oh,  that  will  be  fine  !  " 

"  Yes,"  said  Polly,  with  a  reassuring  nod  over 
at  him,  "I  will  Vanny,  tell  it  all.  Well,  so 
here  is  what  they  said.  The  old  gray  goose 
began  it  : 


262 


STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 


" '  Humph  ! '  she  said,  with  a  very  knowing 
look ;  '  you  don't  know  as  much  as  you  will  in 
a  short  time  —  say  in  November.' 

"  Now,  what  November  was,  the  chicken,  of 
course,  couldn't  tell,  for  he  had  never  seen  a 
November ;  so  he  asked  the  cross  old  goose 


v^ 


The  old  gray  goose  holds  a  conversation  with  the  black  chicken. 

very  plainly,  but  very  politely,  one  day,  to 
tell  him  exactly  what  she  did  mean.  This  was 
the  week  before  Thanksgiving ;  and  it  rained, 
and  it  was  cold  and  dreary,  and  the  two  were 
perched  on  a  rail,  shivering  with  the  cold. 
But  what  the  old  gray  goose  was  saying  made 


POLLY  PEPPER'S  CHICKEN-PIE.          263 

Shanghai  shake  and  shiver  worse  than  anything 
else,  only  he  pretended  that  he  wasn't  fright- 
ened a  bit. 

"  Now,  you  must  know  that  the  old  gray 
goose  was  very  angry  at  the  Shanghai  chicken 
for  coming  there  at  all ;  and  when  she  saw  us 
all  feed  it,  she  got  angrier  and  angrier,  till  she 
tried  to  say  very  bad  things  indeed  to  that 
poor  little  black  chicken:" 

"That  was  naughty,"  little  Dick  burst  out 
vehemently. 

"  Yes,  she  was  very  naughty  indeed,"  said 
Phronsie,  shaking  her  head  gravely. 

"  So  she  was,"  declared  Polly  ;  "  wait,  and 
you'll  see  what  happened.  Well,  she  went  on, 
and  on,  and  talked,  and  talked,  about  how  the 
chicken  was  to  be  baked  in  pieces  in  a  pie,  and 
all  that. 

"  '  I've  seen  'em  ! '  she  said  with  the  air  of 
one  who  knew  everything.  '  Year  after  year, 
hens  and  chickens,  yes,  and  geese,  stepping 
around  in  the  morning,  oh !  so  happy  and 
smart  ;  and  then  at  evening  they  would  go  past 
here  to  market,  all  stiff  and  stark,  with  their 
heads  off  and  Mr.  Brown's  boy  holding  them 
by  their  legs  !  All  for  pies,  and  so  that  people 


264      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

may  eat  themselves  sick;  and  they  call  it  a 
Thanksgiving ! ' 

"  Oh,  how  the  chicken  shook  !  It  seemed  as 
if  it  would  fall  off  from  its  perch  ;  but  it  was 
very  dark,  so  the  old  goose  didn't  notice  it. 
Shanghai  wouldn't  for  all  the  world  have  had 
her ;  so  he  controlled  himself,  and,  being  a 
brave  little  fellow,  he  stopped  the  beating  of 
his  heart,  and  he  spoke  up  loud  :  — 

" '  Well,  why  weren't  you  baked  in  a  pie, 
then,  along  with  the  others  ? ' 

"'What!  —  why  —  well  — '  stammered  the 
goose,  '  they  were  going  to  kill  me  time  and 
again,  —  but  —  well,  the  fact  is,  they  thought  so 
much  of  me  they  couldn't  bear  to.'  In  spite  of 
its  fright,  the  chicken  couldn't  help  laughing 
softly  to  itself. 

" '  Well,  come,  you'd  better  go  to  bed  !  ' 
crossly  snapped  the  goose ;  '  they'll  come  for 
you  bright  and  early  in  the  morning.  I  heard 
'em  saying  so.' 

'"Well!  then  I  say,'  declared  the  chicken, 
drawing  himself  up  on  his  long  legs  till  he 
looked,  oh,  so  tall !  '  they  won't  find  me  here ; 
that's  all  I've  got  to  say !  " 

"  '  Why,  where  will  you  go  ? '  demanded  the 


POLLY  PEPPER'S  CHICKEN-PIE.          265 

goose,  seeing  that  she  had  gone  too  far  in  the 
desire  to  make  the  poor  little  chicken  as  un- 
happy as  possible. 

" '  Oh,  I'm  going  to  set  out  for  my  own  for- 
tune ! '  gayly  replied  the  chicken.  '  At  any 
rate,  it  can't  be  any  worse  than  to  be  baked 
in  a  pie.  I  think  I  see  myself  staying  here  for 
that !  No  ;  good-night,  Mrs.  Goose.  Thank 
you  for  all  your  kindness  ;  I'm  off ! ' 

"  '  Yes  !  and  be  stuck  in  a  bog  for  your  pains ! ' 
scornfully  hissed  the  old  goose,  seeing  it  was 
useless  to  advise  or  to  urge  further ;  but  the 
chicken's  long  legs  were  going  at  a  pretty 
smart  pace  down  the  hill,  and  it  was  soon  out 
of  sight,  and  it  was  never  seen  by  any  of  us  in 
The  Little  Brown  House  again." 

"Oh,  dear  me!"  screamed  Percy  and  Van 
together;  "then,  you  didn't  have  any  chicken- 
pie.  Why,  Polly  Pepper —  And  you  said  you 
had  one  !  "  While  little  Dick  roared  steadily, 
only  the  words,  "chicken,"  and  "pie,"  and 
"Oh,  dear!  oh,  dear!"  could  be  heard. 

When  the  noise  was  quelled  as  best  it  could 
be,  by  Jasper  and  Ben,  Polly  was  saying,  "Well 
that  was  the  very  dreadful  thing  that  happened, 
you  know  I  told  you  about,  and  "  - 


266      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

"  And  didn't  you  have  anything  ?  "- 

"Any  pie  —  any  pie  at  all,"  screamed  and 
wailed  the  Whitney  children,  beside  themselves 
with  distress.  So  Polly  hastened  to  reassure 
them.  "  There,  there,  don't  feel  so,  boys  ;  you'll 
see  it  all  turned  out  beautifully,  after  all." 

"  How  could  it,"  exclaimed  Van,  horribly 
disappointed,  "  if  you  didn't  have  any  chicken- 
pie,  after  all  ? " 

"You'll  see,"  was  all  that  Polly  would  tell 
him  by  way  of  comfort,  as  she  hurried  on. 

"  Well,  'twas  a  beautiful  morning,  wasn't  it, 
Ben,"  cried  Polly,  "when  you  went  out  to  kill 
the  chicken  ? " 

"Yes,"  said  Ben;  "but  what  I  remember 
most  of  all  was,  how  you  all  screamed  and 
cried,  and  said  you'd  rather  go  without  the  pie 
than  to  have  the  chicken  killed." 

"  Oh !  "  exclaimed  the  little  bunch  of  Whit- 
neys. 

"  I  know  it,"  said  Polly.  "And  so,  after  all, 
it  was  better  that  that  black  Shanghai  ran 
away." 

"  O  Polly  Pepper !  "  cried  all  the  children 
but  Phronsie. 

"  Yes,"  said    Polly  stoutly  ;  "  I  really  think 


POLLY  PEPPER'S  CHICKEN-PIE.          267 

it  was.  Well,  never  mind,  let  us  go  on  and 
hear  the  rest  of  it.  Joel  was  the  first  one  to 
tell  us  the  chicken  had  gone.  He  rushed 
screaming  in,  'O  Mamsie !  Mamsie!  the 
chicken  isn't  there  !  " 

"  Oh,  dear  me  !  "  interrupted,  Joel ;  "  I  re- 
member." 

"And  after  him  came  Davie  flying  in,  and 
then  I  can't  tell  you  how  we  all  acted  in 
that  kitchen." 

"  You  didn't,  Polly,"  said  Ben  hastily  ;  "  all 
the  rest  of  us  did." 

"  I  know  I  was  just  as  bad  as  any  of  us," 
said  Polly.  "  Well,  anyway,  then  we  all  went 
out  and  hunted  for  the  chicken,  and  "  — 

"  And  didn't  you  ever  find  him  ?  "  demanded 
Percy. 

"No,  she  said  so  before,"  said  Van;  "she 
said  they  never  saw  him  again,  don't  you 
know  ? " 

"  No,  we  couldn't  find  him,"  said  Polly  to 
Percy,  "though  we  hunted  high  and  low, — in 
the  woodshed,  and  the  Provision  Room,  and  all 
about  the  house,  and  down  in  the  pine  wood, 
oh !  and  over  by  Cherry  Brook.  Well,  you 
can't  think  how  we  searched  for  that  long 


268  STORIES    POLLY    PEPPER    TOLD. 

black  chicken.  Yes,  and  Ben  ran  down  to  the 
swamp  where  he  had  found  it,  when  he  was 
digging  sweet-flag,  to  see  if  perhaps  Mister 
Shanghai  had  run  back  there,  and  got  stuck  in 
the  bog  ;  but  no,  he  wasn't  there,  not  a  bit  of 
him,  so  finally  we  all  had  to  come  home  and 
tell  Mamsie  that  we  couldn't  find  him.  And  it 
rained  dreadfully  all  that  afternoon  ;  and  there 
was  the  flour-bag  standing  up  all  ready  in  the 
pantry,  oh,  dear !  and  so  we  had  to  tell  stories 
to  keep  the  children  from  being  too  sorry  and 
forlorn,  and  "  - 

"  You  did,  Polly,"  corrected  Ben.  "  I  couldn't ; 
but  you  told  some  splendid  stories." 

"  Oh !  will  you  tell  us  some  of  those  splendid 
stories,  Polly  Pepper  ? "  cried  Percy  radiantly. 
"  Will  you  ?  that  you  told  that  rainy  afternoon, 
when  the  black  chicken  ran  away?" 

"  She's  going  to  tell  us  how  the  old  gray 
goose  bit  Sally  Brown,  too,"  declared  Van  posi- 
tively, not  losing  sight  of  this  future  bliss. 

"And  so  I  will,  Van,"  promised  Polly;  "and 
I'll  tell  you  one  of  the  stories  I  told  the  chil- 
dren on  that  dreadful  afternoon  when  it  rained, 
and  the  black  chicken  ran  away.  But  not  now ; 
I  must  finish  about  the  chicken-pie." 


POLLY  PEPPER'S  CHICKEN-PIE.          269 

"Tell  more  than  one,  Polly,"  begged  the 
children  ;  "please  tell  us  all  the  stories  you  told 
then." 

"  We'll  see,"  said  Polly  brightly ;  "  I'll  tell 
you  some,  but  I  don't  know  as  I  could  tell  you 
all  the  stories  I  told  that  dreadful  afternoon. 
I  had  to  tell  a  good  many,  you  know  ;  it  was 
so  very  hard  to  get  over.  Well,  now  we  must 
hurry.  Where  was  I  ?  Oh  " — 

"  You  said  you  were  telling  stories,"  shouted 
Van,  first  of  all. 

"Yes,  I  know.  Well,  it  was  Ben  who  first 
proposed  the  best  thing  you  could  think  of 
in  all  this  world.  All  of  a  sudden  he  jumped 
up,  and  waved  his  hand  like  this."  Polly  sprang 
to  her  feet.  "  See-  here,  children,  why  not 
let's  have  the  old  gray  goose  ? "  she  shouted. 

"  And  you  all  screamed  at  me  '  The  goose,'  in 
great  scorn,"  said  Ben. 

"  I  know  we  did,"  said  Polly  humbly,  her 
hand  falling  to  her  side;  "but  that  was  be- 
cause we  weren't  as  smart  as  you  were,  to  see 
what  a  wise  thing  it  was  to  have  the  old  gray 
goose.  I  remember  you  said,  if  we  can't  have 
chicken-pie,  why  we  must  take  the  next  best, 
and  that's  goose." 


2/O      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

"Well,  you  all  came  around  finely  in  a  little 
while,  though,"  said  Ben,  smiling  at  her.  "  And 
Mamsie  said  :  '  I  think  Ben  is  right  ;  and  the 
old  gray  goose  is  really  too  cross  to  be  allowed 
to  live,  for  it  isn't  safe  to  have  her  around  any 
longer  ;  so  she  really  ought  to  be  killed,  any- 
way, and  we  can  boil  her  a  good  while  to  make 
her  as  tender  as  possible  ;  so  you  can  have  your 
pie,  Polly!'" 

"  Oh,  dear  me  !  "    said  the  Whitney  children. 

"And  Polly  said:  'but  why  couldn't  the 
old  gray  goose  have  run  away,  I  wonder  ? '  and 
that  made  us  all  laugh,"  said  Ben,  "instead  of 
crying  any  more." 

"  Oh,  I'm  so  glad  !  "  screamed  Van  ;  and  he 
rolled  over  and  over  on  the  floor  in  a  ball.  "  Now 
the  old  gray  goose,  the  bad,  naughty,  hateful 
old  thing,  is  going  to  be  killed,  instead  of  the 
chicken  she  scared  so." 

"So  am  I,"  cried  Percy;  but  he  sat  quite 
straight  and  dignified  in  his  chair,  onlv  clap- 
ping his  hands  by  way  of  approval.  '  Oh,  do 
tell  on,  Polly  !  "  he  begged. 

"  And  so  the  old  gray  goose,  huddling  in 
from  the  rain,  and  chuckling  to  herself  at  the 
state  of  affairs,  didn't  dream  what  was  coming  ; 


POLLY  PEPPER'S  CHICKEN-PIE.          271 

and  on  the  next  morning,  chop  —  off  went  her 
head  —  and  we  had  our  pie." 

"  And  Polly  had  some  flowers  on  it,  after 
all,"  said  Ben  ;  "  for,  at  the  last  minute,  a  neigh- 
bor ran  in  with  a  bunch  of  posies ;  and  she 
said :  '  I'm  real  sorry  you  had  such  a  time  about 
your  pie,  children.'  '  So,  you  see,  the  old  gray 
goose  was  decked  up  fine  after  all ;  for  Polly 
stuck  them  in  her  bony,  tough  old  breast." 

"  And  Mamsie  baked  us  such  a  beautiful 
pudding,"  cried  Polly,  looking  over  at  Mrs. 
Pepper  with  a  bright  smile. 

"  Most  all  plums,"  said  Joel,  smacking  his 
lips  at  the  remembrance.  "  My  !  wasn't  it 
good,  though  ! " 

"  And  did  Phronsie  get  her  wish-bone  ? " 
asked  little  Dick  anxiously. 

"  Why,  how  could  she,  when  the  black 
chicken  ran  away  with  it  ?  "  cried  Polly. 


2/2  STORIES    POLLY    PEPPER    TOLD. 


XVII. 

PHRONSIE  PEPPER'S  NEW  SHOES. 

"  TT  was  such  hard  work  to  make  the  fire 
J~  burn  that  morning,"  said  Polly.  "  Some- 
thing was  the  matter  with  the  old  stove  worse 
than  usual.  The  big  cracks  seemed  bigger  than 
ever,  although  Ben  had  stuffed  them  up  with 
putty  the  week  before,  and  "  — 

"  What  had  he  stuffed  them  up  for  ? "  de- 
manded little  Dick,  plunging  into  the  centre 
of  the  group. 

"  Hush  ! "  said  Van,  laying  a  violent  hand  on 
his  jacket,  "do  be  still  ;  you  crowd  so,  and  ask 
questions." 

"  I  don't  '  crowd  so  and  ask  questions,'  "  said 
little  Dick  tartly ;  and  he  turned  a  very  red 
face  to  Polly.  "What  did  he  do  so  for,  Polly?" 

"  Why,  we  were  very  poor,  you  know,"  said 
Polly;  "and  the  old  stove  was  all  tired  out,  it 
had  been  baking  so  long  —  oh  !  for  years  and 


PHRONSIE  PEPPER'S  NEW  SHOES.        273 

years ;  and  it  had  big  holes  and  cracks  come  in 
it  that  let  the  air  through,  and  then  that  put 
the  fire  out." 

"Oh!"  said  little  Dick. 

"  We  weren't  so  very  poor,"  said  Joel  unea- 
sily, who  never  could  bear  to  be  pitied. 

"  No,  not  when  our  ships  came  in,"  said  Ben 
soberly ;  but  his  eyes  twinkled,  at  which  Polly 
laughed  merrily. 

"  Oh,  dear  me  !  "  she  cried,  wiping  her  eyes  ; 
"Joel's  ships  were  always  coming  in." 

"What  do  you  mean,  Polly  Pepper?"  cried 
Van  quickly.  "  You  say  so  many  funny  things. 
What  were  Joel's  ships  ?  and  when  did  they 
come  in  ? " 

"Now,  see  here,"  said  Jasper,  "if  you  ask 
so  many  questions,  Polly  never  can  get  to  the 
story  how  Phronsie  got  her  new  shoes.  And 
to  think  how  you  three  chaps  have  been  teas- 
ing her  to  tell  it !  If  I  were  Polly,  I  wouldn't 
give  you  a  single  scrap  of  it." 

But  Polly  tossed  him  a  bright  smile  over  her 
shoulder,  and  dashed  off  again  as  fast  as  she 
could. 

"  You  see,  boys,  when  the  putty  that  Ben  had 
stuffed  into  the  old  stove  tumbled  out  that 


2/4      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

morning,  I  was  just  going  to  put  my  pans  of 
bread  into  the  oven.  Think  of  that !  " 

"  Oh,  dear  me  !  "  exclaimed  the  Whitney  boys. 

"  Well,  there  wasn't  any  more  putty.  Oh  !  I 
forgot  to  tell  you  that  Ben  was  away  at  his 
work,  so  he  couldn't  fix  it,  and  besides,  there 
wasn't  any." 

"  Why  didn't  you  take  some  cotton  wool  ?  " 
cried  Van. 

"  Dear  me ! "  exclaimed  Polly  with  a  little 
laugh,  "  we  never  had  cotton  wool.  That  would 
have  been  splendid  —  most  as  good  as  having  a 
new  stove.  But  sometimes  Davie  used  to  give 
us  a  boot-top,  and  "  • 

"  A  boot-top !  "  cried  both  of  the  Whitney 
boys  together. 

"  Yes,  when  anybody  gave  him  an  old  boot- 
top,  he'd  save  it  for  the  stove ;  the  bits  of 
leather  stuffed  it  up  just  finely,  and  "  — 

"  I'd  have  given  a  boot-top  too,  if  I'd  had 
it,"  said  Joel  grimly;  and  his  chubby  face 
lengthened. 

"  Oh  !  Joel  was  splendid  too,"  said  Polly,  turn- 
ing a  radiant  face  on  him  ;  "  he  gave  things  too, 
and  helped  to  do  the  stuffing.  I  don't  know 
what  I  should  ever  have  done  in  all  this  world 


PHRONSIE  PEPPER  S  NEW  SHOES. 


275 


without  those  two  boys  ;"  and  she  beamed  at 
them.  "  Well,  I  must  hurry,  or  you  never  will 
hear  about  Phronsie's  new  shoes.  Oh  !  where 
was  I  ?" 

"  Why,  you  were 
stuffing  up  the  old 
stove  to  make  it 
burn,"  said  all  the 
Whitney  boys  to- 
gether. "  Don't  you 
know,  Polly  Pepper?" 

"Oh,   yes!     Well, 
and   I   was    in  the 
midst  of    it,  when 
Phronsie  came  out 
of  the  bedroom  and 
said,  '  Oh  !  I  am  so 
hungry,  Polly.'    Dear 
me,  and  .there  I  was  ; 
my  hands  were  just 
as  black  as  could  be, 

"  Oh  !  I  am  so  hungry,  Polly  " 

and  Joel    and   David 

were  away,  you  know,  and  so  Phronsie  begged 
to  go  to  the  Provision  Room  herself  to  the 
bread-pail  that  always  hung  under  the  steps, 
and  I  told  her  she  might. 


2/6      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

"  Well,  when  she  went  along,"  said  Polly, 
hurrying  over  this  part  of  it,  as  she  thought 
she  saw  Phronsie's  head  droop  a  bit,  "  she  took 
the  big  bread-knife  out  of  the  cupboard  ;  she 
thought,  you  know,  it  would  help  me  ;  and  the 
first  thing  anybody  knew,  down  she  rolled  over 
those  dreadful  old  rickety  steps  !" 

Every  one  in  the  group  sat  perfectly  still,  as 
if  not  daring  to  breathe  ;  and  little  Dick  threw 
his  arms  around  Phronsie,  while  his  mouth 
worked  dreadfully  as  he  tried  not  to  cry. 

"And  I  cut  my  thumb,"  said  Phronsie,  hold- 
ing it  up. 

"  Yes,"  said  Polly,  hurrying  on  ;  "  it  was  only 
her  thumb  she  cut,  but  how  it  did  scare  me  ! 
I  don't  know  how  I  ever  got  down  over  those 
stairs  ;  and  there  she  was  in  a  little  heap  at  the 
bottom,  and  that  dreadful  old  bread-knife  lying 
down  on  the  floor  a  little  way  off.  Oh,  dear 
me!  I  can't  bear  to  think  of  it  even  now;  and 
there  were  little  dabs  of  blood  on  her  pink 
apron,  and  all  over  her  face.  But  she  said  it 
was  only  her  thumb." 

"Yes,"  said  Phronsie  gravely;  "it  was  only 
my  thumb." 

"  And  so  it  was  surely,  as  I  soon  found  out," 


PHRONSIE    PEPPER  S    NEW    SHOES.  2// 

said  Polly,  drawing  a  long  breath.  "  Well,  we 
soon  got  Phronsie  up-stairs,  all  right." 

"  Yes,"  said  Joel ;  "  and  the  first  thing  Polly 
did,  she  said  to  the  old  stove,  '  Oh  !  you  old 
naughty  thing,  now  think  what  you've  done 
this  morning'  —  that's  what  she  told  us." 

"  And  then  I  had  to  get  some  court-plaster 
to  stick  the  cut  together  with,"  said  Polly;  "so 
Phronsie  sat  in  Mamsie's  old  rocking-chair, 
while  I  ran  over  to  Grandma  Bascom's  for  it  ; 
for  you  know,  of  course,  that  if  any  of  us  got 
into  any  trouble,  why,  the  first  thing  we  did 
was  to  get  into  Mamsie's  chair,  if  she  wasn't 
home." 

Phronsie  put  one  soft  little  hand  on  Mother 
Pepper's  lap,  and  patted  it. 

"  And  she  had  cake,"  said  Joel  ;  "  Mamsie's 
chair,  and  a  piece  of  cake  too." 

"  Yes,  there  was  a  piece  that  had  been  given 
Mamsie,  and  we  were,  saving  it  up  for  a  treat 
that  we  were  to  have  had  that  very  night ;  but 
when  Phronsie  got  hurt,  why,  of  course  she 
must  have  it.  Well,  I  thought  Grandma  Bas- 
com  never  would  find  that  court-plaster.  She 
wanted  so  to  hear  all  about  how  Phronsie  got 
hurt  in  the  first  place,  and  then  she  didn't 


278      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

know  where  she  had  put  the  court-plaster;  and, 
oh,  dear  me  !  I  thought  I  should  fly,  to  think 
of  poor  Phronsie  curled  up  in  the  big  chair 
waiting  for  me  ;  but  at  last  Grandma  found  it 
in  the  cupboard  drawer ;  and  she  cut  off  a 
piece,  and  then  it  wasn't  but  a  minute  or  two 
and  the  cut  was  stuck  together  and  tied  up 
in  an  old  handkerchief,  and  Phronsie's  pink 
apron  was  taken  off,  and  she  had  a  clean  one 
on,  and  I  brushed  her  curls,  and  everything  was 
getting  all  right  again ;  and  then  in  popped 
Ben  !  " 

"And  Ben  whistled  'Whew!'"  said  little 
Davie,  "just  as  loud  as  he  could.  Polly  told 
us  he  did." 

"And  they  both  kissed  Phronsie  all  around 
again,  and  Ben  kissed  her  the  most,  because 
he  hadn't  been  there  at  the  first,"  said  Joel ; 
"Polly  told  us  —  oh!  and  then  Polly  said"  — 

"Oh!  let  me  tell,"  begged  David  in  great 
excitement. 

"No,  I  began  first,"  said  Joel;  "I  want  to 
myself,  Dave." 

"  Yes,  he  did  begin  first,  Davie,"  said  Polly, 
smiling  into  his  little  eager  face.  "Joel  ought 
to  tell."  So  Joel  began  again  triumphantly, 


PHRONSIE    PEPPER  S    NEW    SHOES.  2/9 

in  a  loud  voice,  "Well,  Polly  said  —  oh!  I'd 
rather  Dave  told  —  you  may,"  he  broke  off 
suddenly,  and  looking  over  at  David. 

"  No,"  said  Davie.  "  You  began  first ;  you 
tell "  - 

"  But  Joel  wants  you  to,  Davie,"  said  Polly, 
smiling  over  at  Joel  in  a  way  to  make  the 
color  fly  up  on  his  round  cheeks  in  his  delight, 
"so  I  would." 

"  Let  Phronsie  tell,"  said  Joel,  "  that's  best. 
Go  on,  Phron  ;  tell  what  Polly  said." 

"She  said,"  began  Phronsie,  "right  in  Ben- 
sie's  ear,  she  told  me  so,  that  I  ought  to  have 
my  new  shoes.  Yes,  she  did  "  • 

"Just  think  of  that!"  exclaimed  old  Mr. 
King,  who  hadn't  spoken  a  word,  but  had  sat 
quite  still,  holding  Phronsie  cuddled  up  in  his 
arms.  "  I  should  say  so  too  ;  it  was  just  the 
time  for  those  new  shoes  to  be  bought." 

"  But  Polly  didn't  tell  me  then,"  said  Phron- 
sie, twisting  around  to  look  into  his  face ; 
"she  whispered  to  Bensie,  and  he  whispered 
in  her  ear,  and  they  told  me  to  wait." 

"Just  think  of  that,"  said  Grandpapa,  pat- 
ting her  small  hand,  as  it  lay  confidingly  in 
his  big  palm. 


28O      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

"Yes,"  said  Phronsie,  "they  did;  and  Polly 
said,  '  Sh,  sh  !  if  Mamsie  will  only  say  yes.'" 

"  Well,  and  at  dinner-time  in  flew  Joel  and 
Davie  hungry  as  bears  —  they  were  always  hun- 
gry," said  Polly,  laughing,  "and  the  bread  was 
not  done,  and  "  • 

"And  we  had  to  eat  the  old  crusts  in  the 
pail ;  we  always  had  to,"  grumbled  Joel. 

"  And  Joel  said  he  could  have  rolled  down 
the  stairs  without  getting  hurt,"  said  David  ; 
"and  he  was  going  to  take  the  bread-knife, 
and  try  it." 

"  But  I  got  that  away  from  you,  sir,"  said 
Ben;  "we'd  had  enough  cuts  for  that  day." 

"  And  I  showed  them  my  thumb,"  said  Phron- 
sie with  an  important  air. 

"  Yes,  and  Polly  took  off  the  handkerchief ; 
but  she  wouldn't  let  us  peek  under  the  court- 
plaster,"  said  David. 

"Well,  I  guess  not,"  said  Polly. 

"And  then  she  told  us  lots  and  lots  of 
stories,"  said  Joel. 

"Oh!  will  you  tell  them  to  us,  Polly  Pep- 
per, when  you  get  through  about  Phronsie's 
new  shoes?"  begged  the  Whitney  boys  all  to- 
gether. 


PHRONSIE  PEPPER'S  NEW  SHOES.        281 

"Oh  !  not  to-day,"  said  Polly.  "I  will  some 
other  time,  maybe." 

"  They've  got  to  be  lots  and  lots  of  them," 
declared  all  three  together. 

"  Well,  do  let  Polly  finish  this  one  first,"  cried 
Jasper.  "  Father,  can't  you  stop  these  chaps 
from  interrupting  her  every  minute,  "  appealing 
to  old  Mr.  King. 

Instead  of  this,  the  old  gentleman  leaned  back 
in  his  chair,  and  laughed  so  long  and  so  heartily 
that  every  one  in  the  room  joined  ;  and  when 
they  sobered  down,  Polly  was  saying,  "And 
then  Mamsie  came  home,  and  everything  was 
all  right." 

"And  Mamsie  said  I  could  have  my  new 
shoes,  all-to-myself  shoes,"  declared  Phronsie, 
very  much  excited,  and  sitting  very  straight  in 
old  Mr.  King's  lap  ;  "  she  did,  Grandpapa." 

"  So  she  did,"  assented  the  old  gentleman, 
bowing  his  stately  head  gravely. 

"That's  nothing,"  said  Percy  Whitney  in  a 
dissatisfied  way,  "to  have  a  pair  of  shoes  given 
you.  Why  didn't  they  give  you  something 
better  than  that?" 

Phronsie  opened  her  eyes  very  wide.  "  I  never 
had  a  pair  whole  mine  before,"  she  said  simply. 


282 


STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 


"Never 
shoes  b  e- 
Percy  and 
while  little 
big  O  of  his 


said  Mrs. 
hand  on 
to  her. 

"  Don't 
you    u  n- 
derstand," 
said    Polly, 
"  that    we    were    very 
poor,  very  poor  indeed  ; 
and    Phronsie    had 
never    had    a   pair    of 


had  a  pair  of 
fore,"  screamed 
Van  together, 
Dick  made  a 
mouth  in  utter 
astonishment. 

Jasper    leaned 
forward  and  tried 
to  pull   all  three 
jackets  together. 

"  Gently,  boys," 
Whitney,  laying  a  soft 
the  shoulder  nearest 


shoes  all  to 
herself  be- 
fore." 

The  Whit- 
ney boys  had 


PHRONSIE  PEPPER'S  NEW  SHOES.        283 

no  words  to  offer  at  that,  but  sat  quite  speech- 
less. 

"  And  Mamsie  had  promised  them  just  as  soon 
as  she  could  get  the  money." 

"And  I  never  had  any  new  shoes,"  said 
Phronsie,  shaking  her  yellow  head.  "  No,  I 
never  did." 

"  And  one  day  I  heard  her  asking  Seraphina 
her  doll,  '  Do  you  suppose  I'll  ever  get  my  new 
shoes  ?  Not  till  I  get  to  be  a  big  woman,  I 
guess.' " 

"And  did  you  say  'Yes',  Mrs.  Pepper  —  did 
you  —  did  you  ?"  cried  Van,  jumping  out  from 
the  centre  of  the  group  to  precipitate  himself 
at  Mother  Pepper's  elbow. 

"  Yes,  I  did,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  smiling  at 
him  ;  "  I  thought,  seeing  Phronsie  had  got  hurt, 
it  was  just  the  right  time  for  those  new  shoes 
to  be  bought." 

"She  did  —  she  did  say  'Yes,'"  proclaimed 
Van,  flying  back  again,  as  if  bearing  a  wholly 
new  fact. 

"  And  I  should  say  so  too,"  declared  old  Mr. 
King  positively,  and  gathering  Phronsie  up 
closely  in  his  arms  again. 

"Well,  and  so  it  was  all  'really  and  truly,'  as 


284      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

Phronsie  said,  settled,"  ran  on  Polly  once  more ; 
"and  now,  just  think,  Phronsie  was  to  have  her 
new  shoes,  and  all  to  herself ! " 

It  was  impossible  to  describe  the  effect  of 
this  announcement  upon  her  auditors  as  Polly 
made  this  statement  most  impressively,  and  she 
rushed  on,  "  and  Ben  was  to  run  over  and  ask 
Deacon  Brown  if  we  couldn't  have  his  green 
wagon,  and  "  — 

"  And  we  were  to  sit  in  behind,"  shouted 
Joel — "Dave  and  me.  Oh,  g'lang  !  didn't  we 
have  fun,  though  !  "  cracking  an  imaginary  whip. 

"Oh,  dear  me!"  exclaimed  Van  discon- 
tentedly, and  rolling  over  on  the  library  rug  ; 
"why  couldn't  we. ever  have  lived  in  a  little 
brown  house  and  sat  in  behind  in  a  green 
wagon." 

"Mamma,"  screamed  little  Dick,  with  cheeks 
all  aflame,  and  plunging  up  to  Mrs.  Whitney's 
side,  "can't  we?  can't  we?" 

"What,  dear?"  asked  Mrs.  Whitney. 

"  Sit  in  behind  in  a  green  wagon  ?  Can't  we, 
mamma,  just  like  Polly  and  Phronsie,  and  "  — 

''Ha,  ha!  Polly  and  Phronsie  didn't  sit  in 
behind,"  shouted  Joel,  "  they  sat  on  the  seat 
with  Ben  ;  Dave  and  me  sat "  — 


PHRONSIE  PEPPER'S  NEW  SHOES.        285 

"I  sat  with  Polly  and  Bensie,"  announced 
Phronsie,  clasping  her  hands  in  delight,  and 
drawing  a  long  sigh  of  satisfaction;  "and  I 
could  see  the  horse,  and  we  were  going  to  get 
red-topped  shoes." 

"  Yes,  she  wanted  them,"  said  Ben,  nodding 
to  the  others.  "  Oh !  it  just  scared  me,  for  I 
was  afraid  we  couldn't  get  them." 

"But  we  did,"  declared  Phronsie,  shaking 
her  yellow  head  positively  —  "  oh  !  beautiful 
red-topped  ones,  Grandpapa ; "  and  she  turned 
to  him  confidingly. 

"  Bless  your  heart !  "  exclaimed  old  Mr.  King 
suddenly,  and  patting  her  little  hands,  "  so  you 
did ;  dear  me,  yes,  to  be  sure." 

"  Well,  it  was  such  a  time  to  get  Phronsie 
ready  the  next  day,"  said  Polly  with  a  long 
sigh  ;  "dear  me,  I  thought  I  never  should  get 
through.  And  then  she  had  to  sit  in  her  little 
chair  and  wait  for  the  rest  of  us,  and  for  Ben 
to  bring  the  horse  and  the  green  wagon  from 
Deacon  Brown's.  Oh  !  and  we  were  so  afraid 
it  would  rain — just  suppose  it  had!"  and  she 
brought  up  suddenly  at  the  direful  prospect. 

"  And  did  it  ?  did  it  rain  ? "  cried  Percy  anx- 
iously, pulling  her  sleeve. 


286      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

"  No ;  it  was  clear  as  a  bell,"  said  Polly. 
"  Oh,  you  can't  think  how  beautiful  that  day 
was  !  Seems  to  me  I  never  saw  the  sun  shine 
any  brighter  ;  'twas  just  as  if  it  were  made  for  us. 
And  Mamsie  stood  on  the  door-step  to  see  us 
go ;  and  the  last  thing  she  said  was,  '  Be  sure  not 
to  get  them  rights  and  lefts,  they'll  wear 
longer,'  and  '  Get  them  plenty  broad  ; '  and  I 
had  her  purse  with  the  money  in  it." 

"And  Joe  and  David  were  just  dreadful," 
said  Ben,  as  Polly  stopped  a  minute  to  take 
breath ;  "  they  dangled  their  legs  out  the  back 
of  the  wagon,  and  they  screamed  and  made  an 
awful  racket — we  couldn't  keep  them  still. 
They  scared  the  old  horse  most  to  death." 

"Well,  he  wouldn't  go  unless  he  was  scared," 
said  Joel,  "  would  he,  Dave  ?  " 

"  No,"  laughed  Davie ;  "  and  then  Ben  said 
he'd  turn  around  and  drive  home  again  if  we 
didn't  stop,  so  that  scared  us  ;  and  then  Polly 
thought  she'd  lost  Mamsie's  purse  with  all  the 
money  in  it,  and  that  was  worse  than  ever." 

"Yes,"  said  Polly  with  a  long  breath;  "how 
frightened  we  all  were.  That  was  perfectly 
dreadful." 

"  But  she  didn't  lose  it  —  Polly  didn't,"  cried 


PHRONSIE  PEPPER'S  NEW  SHOES.       287 

Phronsie,  shaking  her  yellow  head  positively  at 
them  all.  "  No,  she  truly  didn't ;  and  I  had 
my  new  shoes,  and  they  were  red-topped  ones," 
she  brought  up  triumphantly. 

"  Yes,"  said  Ben,  "  that  was  the  hardest  part 
of  it  all.  Phronsie  wanted  red-topped  ones,  and 
that  scared  Polly  and  me  dreadfully ;  for  there 
was  only  a  little  bit  of  a  chance  that  Mr.  Beebe 
would  have  any,  you  know,  and  "  — 

"  But  he  did,"  interrupted  Phronsie  eagerly, 
and  leaning  forward  to  look  into  old  Mr.  King's 
face.  "My  dear  Mr.  Beebe  did  have  red- 
topped  shoes;  he  did,  Grandpapa." 

The  only  answer  the  old  gentleman  gave  was 
to  clasp  her  closer  to  his  breast,  while  Polly 
hurried  on. 

"  Well,  such  a  time  as  we  had  getting  into 
old  Mr.  Beebe's  shop,"  she  cried,  holding  up 
both  hands ;  "  dear  me !  I  thought  we  never 
should  begin  to  try  on  those  shoes,  and  then  "  — 

"  And  there  were,  oh,  so  many  shoes  !  "  cried 
Phronsie,  clasping  her  hands,  "hanging  up  in 
the  window,  and  "  — 

"  Yes,  and  rubber  boots,"  broke  in  Joel ;  "  I 
always  wanted  them,  Dave  and  I  did.  But  we 
never  got  them,"  he  added  under  his  breath. 


253      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

"Yes,  just  lots  and  lots  of  shoes,"  Polly  was 
saying  ;  "  but  that  wasn't  anything  to  the  ones 
inside.  Why,  they  hung  up  all  around  the  shop, 
just  every  place  a  shoe  could  hang.  Oh  !  and 
there  were  ever  so  many  in  boxes  too  ;  and  old 
Mr.  Beebe  keep  pulling  out  one  after  another, 
and  he  had  them  tucked  under  the  shelves  and 
everywhere  else.  And  it  did  smell  so  nice  and 
lovely  of  beautiful  leather;"  she  sighed  in 
delight  at  the  remembrance. 

"  Tell  about  the  pink-and-white  sticks,  Polly," 
begged  Davie,  pulling  gently  at  her  sleeve. 

"  And  the  doughnuts,"  said  Joel ;  "  I  liked 
them  best." 

"Well,  I  didn't,"  said  David  decidedly;  "I 
liked  the  pink-and-white  sticks  best." 

"So  did  I,"  said  Joel,  "when  I  was  eating 
them  ;  but  the  doughnuts  lasted  longer,  so  I 
liked  those  best." 

"And  of  course  we  couldn't  get  rights  and 
lefts,"  said  Polly,  "  because,  you  know,  Mamsie 
told  us  they  wouldn't  wear  as  good;  so  it  seemed 
as  if  we  never  could  get  Phronsie  fitted  in  all 
this  world." 

"  And  I  couldn't  see  any  red-topped  shoes  in 
all  that  shop,"  declared  Ben  to  the  group  hang- 


PHRONSIE  PEPPER'S  NEW  SHOES.        289 

ing  on  every  word,  "  although  I  walked  around 
and  around,  and  stared  at  everything  with  all 
my  eyes." 

"  Oh,  dear  me !  "  exclaimed  all  the  auditors 
in  great  distress. 

"  No,  I  couldn't ;  and  I  was  just  going  to  give  it 
up,  and  make  up  my  mind  to  go  home  without 
getting  Phronsie  any,  when  don't  you  think  old 
Mr.  Beebe  said  —  you  tell  them,  Polly,  what  he 
said  ;  "  and  Ben  stopped  quite  tired  out. 

"  No,  you  tell,"  said  Polly,  delighted  to  get 
Ben  to  talking ;  and  she  leaned  back  and  folded 
her  hands  restfully. 

"  Well,  he  said,"  began  Ben,  seeing  that 
Polly  was  not  really  to  tell  it,  "  '  I  made  a  pair 
once  for  the  squire's  little  daughter  down  to 
the  Point ;  but  her  ma  didn't  take  them,  'cause 
they  were  too  small.'  Well,  you  can  just  think 
how  we  didn't  dare  breathe,  for  fear  they 
wouldn't  fit." 

"  But  they  did,"  cried  Phronsie  greatly  ex- 
cited ;  "  my  dear  Mr.  Beebe  made  them  fit  me, 
he  did." 

"  Yes,"  said  Ben,  drawing  a  long  breath,  "on 
the  shoe  went  just  as  nice,  and  he  buttoned  it 
up  as  snug  as  could  be  ;  and  he  said,  '  But  per- 


2QO      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

haps  you'll  object  to  'em,  'cause  they're  red- 
topped.'  Just  think  of  that !  " 

The  Whitney  boys  screamed  right  out  at 
this  stage  of  affairs,  and  even  Jasper  shared 
in  the  general- excitement,  until  Phronsie's  red- 
topped  shoes  seemed  to  be  the  same  little 
specks  of  color  before  their  eyes  as  when  she 
danced  around  the  old  kitchen  to  show  them 
to  Mrs.  Pepper. 

"  Well,  now,"  said  old  Mr.  King  at  last,  in  a 
lull,  "  we  must  let  Polly  tell  the  rest  of  it.  Go 
on,  Polly  my  girl,  what  next  ? " 

"  Well,  then  Phronsie  had  to  get  off  from  the 
little  wooden  chair  old  Mr.  Beebe  made  her  sit 
down  in,  and  stamp  in  the  red-topped  shoes 
real  hard,  to  see  if  they  really  were  a  good 
fit ;  and  then  I  paid  him  out  of  the  money  in 
Mamsie's  purse,  and  he  rolled  up  the  old  ones 
in  a  newspaper;  and  then  he  gave  her — don't 
you  think  —  the  most  beautiful  button-hook  — 
oh  !  you  can't  think,  it  shone  just  like  silver, 
and  —  " 

"  And  was  it  silver  ? "  demanded  Van,  who, 
seeing  the  story  on  the  wane,  was  jealous  of 
every  bit  of  statistic  by  which  to  spin  it  out  ; 
"was  it  really  silver,  Polly  Pepper?" 


PHRONSIE    PEPPER  S    NEW    SHOES.  2QI 

"  Sh  —  be  still,  Van,"  said  Jasper  with  a 
little  nudge ;  "  Polly  cannot  possibly  get  on 
if  you  interrupt  her  all  the  time." 

"  No,  it  wasn't  really  and  truly  silver,"  said 
Polly,  with  a  bright  smile  for  Jasper ;  "  but  it 
was  just  as  good.  Oh  !  and  then  dear  old  Mrs. 
Beebe  gave  us  another  doughnut  apiece  out  of 
the  big  stone  pot ;  and  then  we  came  out  of  the 
shop,  and  climbed  into  the  old  green  wagon 
and  drove  home." 

"  And  I  had  my  new  shoes  on,  Grandpapa," 
announced  Phronsie,  turning  to  the  old  gentle- 
man as  if  a  wholly  new  fact  were  to  be  stated  ; 
"  and  they  were  red-topped,  they  were  ! " 

"Yes,  she  kept  sticking  her  feet  6ut  from 
under  the  shawl  Mamsie  had  told  me  to  ttick 
her  up  in  every  minute,  to  be  sure  the  shoes 
were  really  there,"  laughed  Polly.  "  Oh,  dear ! 
such  a  time  as  I  had  to  get  her  home,  and  it 
was  most  night  too." 

"She  stuck  them  out  just  like  this,"  de- 
clared Joel,  running  out  his  feet  spasmodically, 
regardless  of  his  neighbors. 

"  Look  out,  Joe,"  said  Ben,  "  and  keep  your 
feet  to  yourself.  Goodness  me  !  there's  some 
difference  between  them  and  Phronsie's." 


STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 


And  there  was  the  shoe  tumbled  right  over   her  nose 


PHRONSIE    PEPPER  S    NEW    SHOES.  2Q3 

"  I  think  she  put  them  out  like  this,"  said 
little  Davie,  making  gentle  thrusts  with  his 
shoes;  "and  she  didn't  knock  folks  over." 

"  Well,  I  don't  care,"  declared  Joel,  pulling 
in  his  feet  as  suddenly  as  he  had  sent  them 
put,  "  the  doughnuts  were  good,  anyway,"  veer- 
ing off  to  safe  ground. 

"  So  they  were,"  said  Ben,  smacking  his  lips. 

"And  it  was  nice  to  get  home  to  mother," 
said  Polly  with  dancing  eyes  —  "  and  she  had 
two  candles  lighted  in  the  kitchen.  I  don't 
know  when  we'd  had  more  than  one  at  a  time 
before ;  and  she  said  she  couldn't  have  done 
better  about  Phronsie's  shoes  if  she  had  gone 
herself  —  I  always  remembered  that ; "  and  Polly 
turned  a  beaming  face  over  at  Mother  Pepper, 
busy  darning  the  Whitney  boys'  stockings. 

Mrs.  Pepper  looked  up  and  sent  her  a  bright 
smile  in  return  —  "  and  Phronsie  said  she  was 
going  to  take  her  shoes  to  bed  with  her." 

"  Ha,  ha !  "  laughed  the  Whitney  boys. 

Jasper  tried  to  pull  all  the  three  jackets,  but 
only  succeeded  in  reaching  Van,  who  was  near- 
est. "  Be  still,  can't  you  ? "  he  said  under  his 
breath,  with  a  glance  at  Phronsie  sitting  dewy- 
eyed  and  radiant  in  Grandpapa's  lap. 


294      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

"Yes,"  said  Polly,  dashing  on  quickly;  "and 
what  do  you  think  I  saw  when  I  went  to  bed 
with  Mamsie  ? " 

"  What  —  what  ?  "  cried  the  boys. 

"Why  Phronsie  in  the  trundle-bed;  one  shoe 
was  held  tightly  in  her  well  hand,  but  the 
other,  she  couldn't  hold  it  very  well,  you  know, 
because  of  the  cut  thumb,  and  there  it  was, 
tumbled  right  down  over  her  nose." 


THE    OLD    GRAY    GOOSE. 


XVIII. 

THE    OLD    GRAY    GOOSE. 

U  promised,"  cried  Van  in  a  loud,  vin- 
dictive  voice.  "  Now,  Polly  Pepper,  you 
did,  just  as  true  as  anything." 

"  Well,  she  didn't  promise  she'd  tell  it  now," 
said  Jasper.  "  You  two  boys  would  tire  her  to 
death,  if  you  had  your  way.  Polly,  I  wouldn't 
oblige  them  ;  they're  perfect  tyrants." 

"Well,  she  did  promise,"  repeated  Van  posi- 
tively, and  shaking  his  brown  head  ;  "  and  when 
she  says  she'll  do  anything,  Polly  Pepper  always 
does  it,"  he  brought  up  triumphantly. 

"  Yes,  I  did  promise  them,  Jasper,"  said 
Polly,  stifling  a  sigh,  as  she  thought  of  the 
hole  in  her  time  that  the  story  would  cut. 
"  So  I'll  do  it,  boys." 

"  Oh,  goody  ! "  exclaimed  Percy,  who  had 
kept  still  through  fear  of  not  standing  well  in 
Jasper's  eyes.  Van  turned  a  somersault  in  the 


296      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

middle  of  the  library  floor,  and  came  up  bright 
and  smiling,  but  speechless. 

"  Let  her  off,  boys,"  begged  Jasper,  seeing 
Polly's  face  ;  "she'll  tell  you  just  as  good  a  one 
some  other  time." 

"  No,  no,  "  howled  Van  in  alarm  ;  "  it's  got 
to  be  now.  You  said  so,  Polly,  this  very  morn- 
ing at  breakfast,  — that  you'd  tell  it  just  as 
soon  as  you  got  through  with  your  music-lesson, 
so  there !  " 

"  And  so  I  will,  Vanny,"  said  Polly  brightly. 
"  I'm  going  to  begin  it  this  very  minute  ;  that 
is,  as  soon  as  you've  called  Joel  and  David  and 
Phronsie  and  Ben.  We  couldn't  ever  in  all 
this  world  have  a  story  without  them." 

"We  might  without  Joel,"  said  Van,  making 
lively  progress  toward  the  door,  having  certain 
reasons  of  his  own  for  a  cooling  off  toward  that 
individual  since  the  contest  in  strength  with 
the  fists  of  the  little  country  lad. 

"  For  shame  !  "  cried  Jasper  after  him  ;  "we 
all  want  Joel." 

"  Van  doesn't  like  Joel  since  Joe  beat  him," 
said  Percy  pleasantly,  who  dearly  loved  to  take 
Van  down. 

"  Well,    I    could   have  beat   him   as  easy  *as 


THE    OLD    GRAY    GOOSE.  297 

not,"  shouted  back  Van,  rushing  out  into  the 
hall  with  a  very  red  face  to  execute  his  errand ; 
"  but  he  was  company,  and  I  didn't  want  to  hit 
hard." 

"  Ha,  — ha  !  "  laughed  Percy  in  derision,  and 
doubling  up  in  amusement. 

Polly  stood  quite  still,  and  looked  at  him 
long  and  intently.  As  far  back  as  she  could 
remember  no  one  had  ever  talked  so  in  The 
Little  Brown  House  !  and  over  her  came  at  this 
moment  an  intense  longing  to  be  back  in  the 
dear  old  kitchen,  where  all  was  bright  and 
cheery  and  sunny.  Percy,  being  unable  to 
get  away  from  her  gaze,  grew  very  red  and 
uncomfortable.  At  last  he  said,  "  Van  is  such 
a  nuisance,"  as  he  fidgeted  from  one  foot  to 
the  other.  Still  Polly  didn't  say  anything. 

"And  he's  always  boasting  of  what  he  can 
do."  Percy  now  was  in  such  distress  that 
he  had  no  more  words  at  his  command,  and 
he  looked  ready  to  cry,  as  he  stood  helplessly 
before  her.  But  there  was  no  chance  for  Polly 
to  say  anything ;  for  in  burst  Joel  and  David, 
with  Phronsie  flying  along  in  the  rear,  Van 
having  gone  to  look  up  Ben,  both  of  them  pres- 
ently making  their  appearance. 


STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 


"  Now,  that's  good  of  you,  Polly,"  said  Ben, 
beaming  at  her;  "for  it's  raining  so  dismally 
it's  just  the  thing  to  have  a  story."  So  that 
Polly  felt  quite  cheered,  and  glad  already  that 
she  was  to  tell  the 
story. 

"  Isn't  it  ?  "  cried 
Van  quite  important- 
ly. "Well,  I  made 
her." 

Percy  made  a  move- 
ment involuntarily,  as 
if  he  were  about  to 
speak  ;  but  thinking 
better  of  it,  he  went 
to  the  outside  of  the 
group,  and  sat  down 
quietly  on  the  cor- 
ner of  the  sofa,  the 
Dick  with  b.g  eyes.  others  drawing  up 

chairs  and  crickets  to  a  circle  around  Polly. 

"Well,"  said  Polly  with  a  flourish  —  then 
she  looked  over  and  saw  Percy.  "  Oh,  come 
over  here!"  she  cried  to  him.  "Here,  Jasper, 
let  Percy  sit  next ;"  so  Jasper  moved  away  from 
Polly's  side ;  and  pretty  soon  Percy,  dragging  up 


'You  said  so,  Polly  Pepper,"  cried   little 


THE    OLD    GRAY    GOOSE.  299 

a  chair,  was  sitting  close  to  Polly,  and  she  was 
smiling  down  at  him  as  if  nothing  had  hap- 
pened. 

"  Now,  I  thought  I  would  tell  you  about  the 
old  gray  goose,"  she  began,  but  a  shout  inter- 
rupted her.  "  Oh,  that's  fine  !  "  cried  Van, 
when  the  noise  died  away. 

"Because  it  rains  just  about  as  badly  as  it 
did  on  that  November  day  when  the  black 
chicken  ran  away  and  spoiled  our  Thanksgiv- 
ing pie,"  said  Polly,  with  warm  little  thrills  at 
her  heart  to  see  the  happy  faces  before  her ; 
"  so  you  see  it's  just  the  time  to  have  the  story." 

"Do  begin,"  urged  Percy,  unable  to  keep 
still  longer. 

"  Well,  the  old  gray  goose  had  lived  with  us, 
you  know,  ever  since  I  could  remember,"  ran 
on  Polly;  "so  she  was  awfully  tough — why, 
we  never  thought  of  killing  her  to  eat  "  — 

"  But  you  did,"  cried  little  Dick  with  big 
eyes;  "you  said  so,  Polly  Pepper." 

"  Dear  me,  yes ! "  said  Polly,  bobbing  her 
brown  head ;  "  but  that  was  afterward,  when 
we  had  to.  But  before  the  black  chicken  ran 
away,  why,  no  one  ever  in  all  this  world  thought 
of  killing  that  old  gray  goose  to  eat.  Well, 


3OO      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

she  was  so  old  and  tough,  and  she  had  grown 
cross,  and  one  day  she  bit  Sally  Brown." 

"  Tell  about  it,  Polly,  do !  "  begged  Van, 
Percy  so  far  forgetting  all  unpleasantness  that 
he  begged  eagerly  too. 

"Yes,"  said  Polly;  "I  am  going  to.  Well, 
you  know  Sally  Brown  was  Deacon  Brown's 
daughter,  and  she  lived  in  " 

"  Did  her  father  let  you  take  the  big  green 
wagon  when  Phronsie  had  her  new  shoes  ? " 
asked  Van  abruptly. 

"  Yes,  he  did." 

"  Oh  !  I  do  so  wish  we  had  a  Deacon  Brown, 
who  would  let  us  have  a  big  green  wagon  and 
go  off  to  places,"  said  Percy  enviously. 

"  Well,  'twouldn't  be  Badgertown,  I  can  tell 
you  that,"  said  Joel,  swelling  up  importantly, 
delighted  to  see  Percy's  face. 

"No,  you  needn't  expect  to  have  such  good 
times  as  the  Peppers  had  in  their  Little  Brown 
House,"  said  Jasper  decidedly  ;  "  because  you 
can't,  no  matter  where  you  are.  I  know,  for 
I've  been  there." 

"Jappy  always  feels  so  big,"  said  Van  irri- 
tably, "because  he's  seen  The  Little  Brown 
House.  Well,  do  go  on,  Polly,"  he  added  quickly. 


THE    OLD    GRAY    GOOSE.  30! 

"  So  I  will,"  said  Polly  with  a  merry  laugh, 
"  if  you  boys  will  let  me ;  but  you  interrupt  me 
so  all  the  while  that  sometimes  I  don't  know 
where  I  am." 

"  I  should  think  so  too,"  said  Jasper.  "  Polly, 
I  wouldn't  tell  them  another  thing  unless 
they'd  promise  to  keep  still." 

Thereupon  such  an  alarm  lest  Polly  should 
stop  altogether  seized  the  group,  that  every- 
body kept  still  as  Polly  ran  on,  — 

"  Well,  you  see,  Sally  Brown  lived  in  a  big 
red  house  ;  her  father  was  awfully  rich,  and  he 
had  two  barns  —  oh  !  and  a  big  henhouse,  and  a 
great  pen,  where  the  pigs  were  kept." 

At  this  there  was  every  appearance  of  an 
outbreak,  but  a  glance  at  Jasper  made  them 
clap  their  hands  over  their  mouths. 

"  Yes  ;  oh  !  and  there  were  cows,  and  some- 
times cunning  little  calves,  and  everything  just 
nice  and  splendid  at  Deacon  Brown's,  till  you 
couldn't  think  of  anything  he  didn't  have. 
Why,  they  had  milk  every  single  day  to  drink 
—  the  Brown  children  had.  Well,  one  day 
Sally  Brown's  mother  sent  her  to  our  house 
to  ask  Mamsie  to  come  over  to  help  Mrs. 
Brown  to  make  soft  soap." 


3O2      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

"  What !  "  exclaimed  both  Whitney  boys  to- 
gether. But  Jasper  shot  them  such  a  keen 
glance  from  his  dark  eyes  that  they  both 
ducked  simultaneously  without  another  word. 

"Yes,"  said  Polly,  hurrying  on.  "You  see, 
Mamsie  was  always  so  very  glad  whenever  any- 
body wanted  help  about  anything,  because  we 
were  very  poor,  you  know,  and  the  money  got 
us  some  Indian  meal  and  molasses." 

"  Oh  !  "  said  the  boys. 

"  Well,  Sally  Brown  says  she  ran  across  the 
meadows  —  you  see,  Deacon  Brown's  house  was 
off  on  the  road  to  Cherry  Brook,  and  so  when- 
ever we  went  to  the  Brown's,  or  they  came  over 
to  see  us, — that  is,  we  children, — why,  we 
would  run  'cross  lots,  and  "  — 

"  What's  'cross  lots  ?  "  broke  in  Van. 

"Ha,  ha!  don't  know  what  'cross  lots  is," 
laughed  Joel  heartily. 

"For  shame,  Joe!"  said  Ben,  and  —  "Why, 
Joey,  how  could  they  know  what  'tis  to  run 
'cross  lots,  when  they've  never  lived  in  the 
country,"  said  Polly. 

"Well,  'cross  lots  is  just  prime!"  exclaimed 
Joel  lustily  ;  "  it's  to  jump  and  race  and  tear  and 
holler  over  the  grass  and  the  corn,  and  through 


THE    OLD    GRAY    GOOSE.  303 

folks'  orchards,  and  over  the  stone  walls,  lickety 
split  —  whoop-la !  " 

He  jumped  up,  and  began  prancing  through 
an  imaginary  race  ;  down  the  long  apartment, 
steering  clear  of  the  oaken  furniture  and 
damask  furnishings,  with  a  keen  eye  for  the 
distance. 

"Come  on,  Dave,"  he  shouted  over  his 
shoulder,  "let's  show  them  what  it's  like;" 
while  the  Whitney  boys  sat  transfixed  with 
longing  at  every  step. 

"  No,  you  don't,  Joe,"  commanded  Ben 
sharply,  "in  the  house.  Stop  this  minute  ;  "  and 
little  Davie  said  quietly,  "  We  ought  to  wait 
till  we  get  out-of-doors." 

"  Well,  come  on  out  now,  then,"  cried  Joel, 
whirling  around  in  his  tracks,  and  looking  like 
a  race-horse  held  up  against  his  will. 

"  Why,  Polly's  telling  about  how  our  old  gray 
goose  bit  Sally  Brown,"  said  David,  getting 
closer  to  Polly  ;  "  we  can't  now,  Joey." 

"  I  don't  want  to  hear  about  Sally  Brown," 
grumbled  Joel,  very  much  out  of  sorts;  "and 
I  wish  the  old  gray  goose  had  bit  her  worse, 
I  do." 

"  O  Joey ! "  reproved  Polly  ;  "  think  how  good 


304      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

Deacon  Brown  was  to  us,  and  Mrs.  Brown 
too." 

"  Well,  Sally  wasn't,"  said  Joel  shamefacedly, 
digging  his  toes  into  the  soft  carpet.  "  She 
bit  me  once,  and  scratched  my  face." 

"  Well,  then,  I  suppose  you  were  bad  to  her," 
said  Ben  coolly.  "  So  come  back,  Joe,  and  don't 
interrupt  this  story  again.  Besides,  it's  raining 
like  everything." 

"  Well,  we  can  go  on  the  veranda,"  said  Joel  ; 
but  he  came  reluctantly  back  and  sat  down 
again. 

"  Well,  so  Sally  ran  'cross  lots,"  said  Polly, 
picking  up  the  narrative  again;  "she  told  us 
all  about  it,  you  know  ;  and  she  says  she  never 
saw  the  old  gray  goose  till  just  as  she  ran  into 
the  lane,  down  by  Grandma  Bascom's.  And 
the  first  thing  she  heard  was  a  ' Hiss  —  hiss!" 
exclaimed  Polly,  suddenly  stretching  up  her 
neck  as  much  like  a  goose  as  possible,  so  that 
every  one  of  her  auditors  jumped  ;  and  the 
Whitney  boys  looked  at  the  door  involuntarily, 
as  if  expecting  to  see  an  old  gray  goose  walk- 
ing-in,  at  which  they  all  laughed  right  merrily, 
so  that  old  Mr.  King  popped  his  head  in  the 
door  to  see  what  it  all  meant. 


THE    OLD    GRAY    GOOSE. 


305 


"  Sally  Brown  is  biting  the  old  gray  goose," 
piped  out  Phronsie,  flying  to  him,  at  which  they 
all  laughed  worse  than  ever;  so  that  it  really 
seemed  as  if  Polly  never  would  finish  that  story 
in  the  world. 

At  last  everything  quieted  down,  and  Polly 


Sally  Brown  and  the  old  gray  goose. 

was  under  way  again  in  the  midst  of  the  nar- 
ration. "So  just  as  she  turned  into  the  lane 
down  by  Grandma  Bascom's,  '  Hiss  —  hiss  ! ' 
came  something  after  her ;  and  looking  over 
her  shoulder,  she  saw  our  old  gray  goose  run- 
ning on  its  sticks  of  legs  as  fast  as  it  could, 
with  its  long  neck  stuck  out  straight  at  her, 


306      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

and  screaming  and  hissing  like  everything. 
Oh,  dear  me  !  and  Sally  was  so  frightened  she 
couldn't  run  another  step  ;  and  so  she  just  sat 
down  on  the  grass,  and  covered  up  her  eyes 
with  her  two  hands." 

"  She  always  was  a  silly,"  declared  Joel  in 
scorn;  "why  didn't  she  just  turn  and  stare  at 
that  old  goose  ?  That's  the  way  I'd  done,  and 
then,  says  I,  I'd  taken  a  stick  and  run  after 
her,  and  whacked  her  over  the  head." 

"And  what  did  the  old  gray  goose  do  then?" 
demanded  Van  Whitney,  with  one  ear  out  for 
what  Joel  would  have  done. 

"Why,  that  dreadful  old  bird  just  climbed 
up  into  Sally  Brown's  lap,  and  nipped  a  little 
bit  of 'her  arm  into  her  bill,  and  bit  it.  And 
Sally  squealed  perfectly  awfully;  and  Grandma 
Bascom  heard  her,  and  she  came  out  of  her 
door,  and  shook  her  broom  at  the  old  gray 
goose,  so  then  she  went  away" — 

"Who  did — Sally?"  asked  Percy  with  a  puz- 
zled air." 

"  No,  the  old  gray  goose  did,"  said  Polly ; 
"  she  took  her  sticks  of  legs  out  of  Sally's  lap, 
and  she  pulled  her  long  neck  in,  and  went  off ; 
and  Sally  came  crying  over  to  us,  and "  — 


THE    OLD    GRAY    GOOSE.  307 

"And  she  always  was  a  silly,"  said  Joel 
again  with  a  snort  of  disdain,  "and  a  cry-baby 
too." 

"And  Mamsie  tied  up  Sally's  arm  with  opo- 
deldoc," said  Polly,  glad  she  could  do  so  well 
with  the  long  word. 

"  What's  opodel,  and  the  rest  of  it,  Polly  ? " 
asked  Percy,  who  was  always  uncomfortable  if 
he  couldn't  get  the  smallest  detail  of  a  story. 

"  Oh  !  I  don't  know,"  said  Polly,  wishing  very 
much  that  she  had  learned  all  about  it  so  as 
to  be  able  to  tell  now ;  "  it's  green  stuff,  like 
herbs,  you  know ;  and  Mamsie  always  soaked 
some,  and  tied  it  on  us  when  we  got  hurt." 

"  I  thought  you  said  Phronsie  had  her  toe 
tied  up  in  worm  something,"  said  Percy  in  a 
literal  way,  "when  it  was  pounded." 

"  Wormwood  ?  Oh,  yes,  so  she  did,"  said 
Polly.  "  Well,  Grandma  Bascom  gave  us  that ; 
I  suppose  we  didn't  have  any  opodeldoc  in  the 
house  that  day.  But  sometimes  Mamsie  would 
have  wormwood  too,  because  we  used  to  get 
hurt,  some  of  us,  pretty  often,  of  course,  and  we 
had  to  be  tied  up,  you  know,  till  we  got  well." 

"What  were  you  tied  up  to?"  broke  in  little 
Dick  with  big  eyes. 


3O8      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

"Oh  !  we  weren't  tied  up,"  said  Polly  with  a 
little  laugh ;  "  I  mean  our  fingers  and  toes 
were  tied  up  when  they  got  cut  and  pounded." 

"  Oh  !  "  said  Van. 

"  Why,  it's  cleared  off  ! "  screamed  Joel,  spring- 
ing up  and  pointing  to  the  window;  "see  the 
rainbow  !  Come  on  Dave,  now  let's  run  'cross 
lots  out-doors!" 


THE  GREEN  UMBRELLA.          309 


XIX. 
THE  GREEN  UMBRELLA. 

POLLY  was  at  her  wits'  end  to  think  of 
anything  to  make  a  story  out  of.  She 
was  longing  to  run  out  into  the  conservatory 
and  be  with  Turner  in  his  work  among  the 
flowers,  and  it  seemed  as  if  her  feet  must 
carry  her  off  in  spite  of  herself.  But  there 
were  all  four  of  the  boys  standing  in  a  row 
before  her,  and  Phronsie's  little  face  expec- 
tantly lifted  waiting  for  Polly  to  begin. 

"  Oh,  dear  me ! "  she  exclaimed  with  an  im- 
patient little  flounce,  "  I  do  wish  "  — 

"  Is  that  the  story,  Polly  ? "  asked  Phronsie 
wonderingly. 

"No,  it  isn't,"  said  Van.  "And  I  don't  be- 
lieve she  means  to  tell  us  any."  The  faces 
all  fell  dismally  at  that. 

"Don't  you,  Polly?"  asked  Phronsie  anx- 
iously. 


3IO      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

"Well,  you  see,  pet,"  Polly  began,  half 
ashamed  of  her  ill  humor. 

"No,  she  doesn't  mean  to,"  declared  Joel, 
scanning  Polly's  face  closely  ;  "  she's  going  off 
somewhere,  maybe  with  Ben,  and  she  won't  tell 
us  where.  I'm  going  to  tag  them." 

"  Oh,  no,  I'm  not,  Joe ! "  said  Polly  quickly. 
"  I  was  going  into  the  conservatory  to  help 
Turner  work  over  the  flowers." 

"  Oh,  bother  that  old  conservatory ! "  ex- 
claimed Joel,  who  was  always  lost  in  wonder 
over  Polly's  love  for  flowers ;  "  it's  mean  not 
to  stay  and  tell  us  a  story,"  he  added  in  a  dud- 
geon ;  "  we  haven't  heard  one  for  ever  so  long." 

"  Polly  wants  to  work  over  the  flowers,"  said 
Phronsie.  Yet  she  looked  very  grave  as  she 
said  it. 

"Yes,  I  do,"  said  Polly,  and  she  turned  back 
and  regarded  the  little  group  of  boys  most 
decidedly;  "and  I'm  tired  to  death  telling  you 
children  stories.  I  want  to  have  a  nice  time 
once  in  a  while  myself;"  and  a  little  red  spot 
began  to  come  on  each  cheek. 

The  boys  all  stared  at  her  without  a  word  ; 
and  Phronsie  crept  nearer,  and  put  her  little 
hand  against  Polly's  dress. 


THE    GREEN    UMBRELLA.  31 I 

"And  you  tease  and  tease  the  life  out  of 
me,"  cried  Polly,  who,  now  that  she  had  begun, 
found  it  impossible  to  stop  herself  ;  "  and  I  wish 
you'd  go  away  and  let  me  alone."  And  there 


"Polly,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  "you   needn't  tell  any  story  just  now." 

stood  Mother  Pepper ;  how  she  got  there,  no 
one  ever  knew,  but  there  she  was  in  the  door- 
way. 

"  Polly,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  and  there  was  a 


312      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

look  in  her  black  eyes  that  made  Polly's  brown 
ones  droop,  "you  needn't  tell  any  story  just 
now." 

"  O  Mamsie  !  "  cried  Polly,  all  the  color  gone 
from  her  cheek  ;  and  bursting  into  a  torrent  of 
tears  she  rushed  to  Mother  Pepper's  side, 
"please  let  me  —  oh,  do  !  I'd  rather  tell  a  story 
than  do  anything  else  ;  I  would,  truly." 

"  Oh,  we  don't  want  any  story  ! "  screamed 
Joel,  breaking  away  from  the  others  to  precip- 
itate himself  into  Mrs.  Pepper's  arms,  his  face 
working  frightfully  in  his  efforts  not  to  cry. 
The  other  boys  stood  helplessly  by,  lost  in 
astonishment. 

"  No,  Polly,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper  firmly,  "  not 
now ;  the  story  must  wait.  And  now,  children, 
you  can  go  away  and  shut  the  door." 

"Can  I  stay?"  begged  Phronsie,  two  tears 
rolling  down  her  round  cheeks,  as  she  came  up 
and  stood  imploringly  by  Mother  Pepper's  side. 

"  No,  dear."  So  Phronsie  crept  off  like  a 
hurt  little  thing  after  the  others,  and  carefully 
shut  the  door.  Then  they  all  sat  down  on  the 
lowest  stairs  to  think  about  it. 

"  Was  that  really  Polly  Pepper  ?  "  asked  Van 
in  an  awe-struck  whisper,  after  a  long  silence. 


THE    GREEN    UMBRELLA.  313 

"  Who  did  you  think  it  could  be  if  it  wasn't 
Polly?"  demanded  Percy  crossly,  and  turning 
on  him. 

"Some  old  witch  dressed  up  in  Polly's 
clothes,"  said  Van  stoutly.  Little  Davie  laid 
his  head  down  on  the  stair  above  him,  "Nobody 
could  get  into  Pol  —  Polly's  clothes,"  he  sobbed 
convulsively. 

"  Of  course  not,"  said  Percy  gloomily ;  "  it's 
only  because  Van  is  such  a  silly,  that  he  says  so." 

"  And  if  you  say  that  again  about  an  old  witch 
getting  our  Polly's  clothes,  I'll  pitch  into  you," 
cried  Joel  with  a  very  red  face ;  and  doubling 
up  his  stout  little  fists,  he  made  a  lunge  at  Van. 

Van  pretended  not  to  be  afraid,  but  managed 
to  get  on  the  other  side  of  Percy. 

"  Oh,  dear  —  dear  !  "  wailed  David  steadily. 

"And  you've  made  Dave  cry,"  cried  Joel; 
"  and  I'll  pound  and  bang  you  for  that."  This 
time  he  managed  to  reach  Van;  but  in  the 
same  moment,  "  Hoity-toity  !  "  exclaimed  a  voice 
above  them  ;  and  there  at  the  top  of  the  stairs, 
and  looking  down  at  them,  was  Grandpapa. 

"  What  are  you  all  doing  ? "  he  asked,  regard- 
ing them  fixedly. 

"We're  just  sitting  here,"  said  Percy,  who 


314      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

was  the  only  one  to  find  his  tongue,  and  look- 
ing up  sidewise. 

"  So  I  perceive,"  said  the  old  gentleman. 

"Joel  was  pitching  into  Van,  Grandpapa," 
cried  little  Dick  in  the  most  cheerful  of  tones, 
and  scrambling  up-stairs  at  a  very  rapid  rate, 
"and  Polly"  — 

"  Ugh  !  "  screamed  Joel  after  him,  "  don't 
let  him  tell,  Grandpapa,"  he  begged,  bounding 
over  the  steps  to  rush  past  Dick  and  reach  the 
old  gentleman's  side  first. 

"  You  pushed  me,"  cried  little  Dick  savagely, 
and  coming  up  red-faced  and  shining.  "  He 
pushed  me,  Grandpapa  ;  "  and  he  doubled  up  his 
fists  at  Joel. 

"  Hoity-toity  !  "  exclaimed  the  old  gentleman 
again.  "  You  mustn't  be  so  free  with  your 
fists,  my  boy." 

"  It's  my  fault,"  said  Joel  ;  "  I  was  going  to 
pitch  into  Van.  Don't  let  Dick  say  anything, 
Grandpapa,"  he  begged  anxiously. 

"  Polly  said  "  —  began  Dick  ;  but  Joel  clapped 
his  hand  over  his  mouth  —  and  there  were  the 
two  boys  whirling  round  and  round,  the  old 
gentleman  in  the  centre  looking  at  them  help- 
lessly. 


THE    GREEN    UMBRELLA.  315 

Meantime  Phronsie  had  come  over  the  stairs 
to  put  her  hand  into  the  old  gentleman's. 
"Please  stop  them,  Grandpapa,"  she  begged 
piteously. 

"  Goodness  me,  dear ! "  exclaimed  Mr.  King. 
"There,  there,  Phronsie  child,  don't  cry." 

At  the  word  "  cry "  Joel's  hand  fell  help- 
lessly down  from  Dick's  mouth,  and  he  stood 
quite  still  while  little  Dick  slid  out  from  under 
his  arm  triumphantly. 

"  If  you  do  speak,  you'll  be  a  mean  little  beg- 
gar, Dick  Whitney,"  cried  Van,  flying  over  the 
stairs,  "  and  Polly  Pepper  won't  ever  tell  you  a 
story  in  all  this  world  again." 

At  these  words  Dick  closed  his  mouth,  and 
concluded  not  to  say  what  was  on  the  tip  of 
his  tongue. 

"  And  I  was  just  as  bad  as  Joel,  Grandpapa," 
went  on  Van,  crowding  up  to  the  old  gentle- 
man's side  ;  "  for  I  said  bad  things  about  "  — 

"Ugh  !  "  exclaimed  Joel,  turning  on  him  sud- 
denly, "don't  let  him  tell,  Grandpapa.  Make 
him  stop." 

"  Phronsie,"  said  old  Mr.  King,  turning  to  her 
very  much  puzzled,  "  I  can't  make  anything  out 
of  these  boys  ;  they're  in  a  bad  way.  You 


316      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

come  with  me,  child  ;"  and  he  seized  her  little 
hand,  and  moved  a  step  or  two  away.  But 
Phronsie  gently  pulled  him  back. 

"  I  think  I  ought  to  stay  here,  Grandpapa," 
she  said,  regarding  the  boys  gravely,  while  the 
tears  went  slowly  over  her  round  cheeks. 

"  Nonsense,  child ;  you  can't  do  them  any 
good.  If  they  want  to  pound  each  other's  heads 
they'll  do  it  ;  and  I  think  myself  it  might  be  a 
good  dose  for  them  both." 

"  But  they  ought  not  to,  Grandpapa,"  said 
Phronsie  in  distress.  "  Polly  wouldn't  like  it." 

At  mention  of  Polly's  name  Joel  left  pursuit 
of  Van,  and  plunged  up  to  old  Mr.  King.  "  I 
won't  touch  either  of  them,"  he  cried  ;  "  I  don't 
care  if  they  pound  me  ;  I'll  let  them." 

"  And  I'm  not  going  to  pound  him,"  declared 
Van  with  a  positive  air. 

"  I  am,"  announced  little  Dick  magnificently. 
"  I  shall  knock  Joel  flat ;  "  and  he  beat  the  air 
with  his  fists. 

At  this  old  Mr.  King  burst  into  such  a  laugh, 
in  which  Percy  and  Van  and  Joel  joined,  that 
the  tears  forgot  to  roll  down  Phronsie's  cheeks, 
and  David  got  off  from  the  lowest  stair,  and 
came  up  to  add  himself  to  the  group. 


THE    GREEN    UMBRELLA.  3I/ 

"Well,  now,"  said  Grandpapa  cheerfully,  "see- 
ing everything  is  so  nice  and  comfortable,  you 
would  all  do  well  to  come  into  my  room  and 
see  what  I've  got  for  you.  Put  up  your  fists  in 
your  pocket,  Dickybird,  and  save  them  for  next 
time."  With  that  he  marched  the  whole  bunch 
of  children  before  him  into  his  own  writing- 
room.  And  there,  behind  the  table  and  waiting 
for  them,  was  Polly  Pepper. 

The  children  all  stared  at  her  a  moment ;  then 
Phronsie  piped  out,  rushing  tumultuously  ovei 
behind  the  table  to  get  into  Polly's  lap.  "  It 
is  Polly.  She's  got  back." 

"  Yes,  Polly  has  got  back,"  said  the  old  gen- 
tleman. "Now,  Polly,"  before  any  one  had  a 
chance  to  say  a  word,  "  I  think  you  would  bet- 
ter set  right  to  work  about  that  story."  And  he 
bustled  about  in  such  a  lively  manner,  getting 
everybody  into  chairs,  that  almost  before  the 
children  knew  it,  there  was  Polly  in  the  very 
midst  of  — 

THE    GREEN    UMBRELLA. 

And  it  began  like  this  :  — 

"  Ever  and  ever  so  many  years  ago,"  said 
Polly,  "  there  was  a  queer  little  man  ;  and  he 
lived  in  the  middle  of  a  big  city,  in  a  perfectly 


STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 


funny  little  house,  with  only  one  window  in  it 

besides  the 
door,  and  he 
had  a  little 
daugh  t  e  r,  — 
she  was  only 
so  high;"Polly 
put  her  hands 
up  above  the 
table-top  a  lit- 
tle way,  —  and 
she  could  speak 
thirty-seven 
different  lan- 
guages." 

"  O  Polly  ! " 
exclaimed  old 
Mr.  King  un- 
der his  breath. 

"And  there 
wasn't  any- 
thing that 
would  make 
music  that  she 
couldn't  play 

ay!  my  daughter  makes  all  the 

want."  on,    said  Polly; 


THE    GREEN    UMBRELLA.  319 

"so  they  didn't  have  to  have  the  hand-organs 
stop  in  front  of  the  house.  The  queer  little  old 
man  used  to  climb  up  the  tree  in  front  of  the 
perfectly  funny  little  house,  and  if  he  saw  a  hand- 
organ  man  coming  along,  he  would  scream  out, 
'  Go  right  away !  my  daughter  makes  all  the 
music  I  want.' " 

"  Even  if  there  was  a  monkey  with  him  ? " 
asked  Joel,  breaking  in. 

"  Yes,  even  if  there  was  a  monkey,"  said 
Polly,  "that  made  no  difference  ;  he  made  him 
go  away  all  the  same.  Well,  and  then  down  the 
queer  little  man  would  slide  along  the  tree  till 
he  got  to  the  ground;  and  then  he  would  rush 
into  the  house  in  a  great  state,  and  he  would  cry 
out,  '  Come,  my  daughter,  and  play  me  a  tune  ; ' 
and  then  he  would  begin  to  dance ;  round  and 
round  and  round  and  round  he  would  spin  until 
his  feet  were  all  twinkling  in  and  out  under- 
neath his  coat,  for  I  must  tell  you  that  he  wore 
a  long  coat  that  flapped  around  his  heels  every 
step  he  took." 

"  Ha,  ha  ! "  laughed  Joel,  in  which  the  oth- 
ers joined,  Polly  smiling  at  them  to  see  their 
brightness  restored.  "  Well,  and  there  he 
would  keep  Araminta  Sophia,  for  I  forgot  to  tell 


32O      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

you  her  name,  playing  away  till  she  almost 
tumbled  down  she  was  so  tired  ;  and  at  last,  when 
he  had  danced  as  much  as  he  wanted  to,  he  said, 
'  Now  take  the  green  umbrella,  and  go  out  and 
buy  me  some  fish  for  breakfast.' 

"  So  Araminta  Sophia  hopped  up  from  the 
piano-stool,  and  ran  out  into  the  shed  that  was 
tacked  onto  the  perfectly  funny  little  house  ; 
and  there,  hanging  on  a  gold  peg,  was  the  green 
umbrella." 

"  Real  gold,  Polly  Pepper  ?  "  cried  Van. 

"  Yes,"  said  Polly,  "  real  true  gold  ;  and  it  was 
—  oh  !  so  big,  you  can't  think,  and  ever  so  thick 
through.  Well,  and  on  it  dangled  the  green  um- 
brella, for  that  was  the  place  where  it  always  had 
to  be  kept  whenever  Araminta  Sophia  brought 
it  home.  I  don't  know  what  would  have  hap- 
pened if  she  hadn't  hung  it  up  there." 

"  Didn't  anybody  ever  carry  it  but  Araminta 
Sophia  ?  "  asked  Percy. 

"  Dear  me,  no,"  said  Polly;  "  for  if  they  should, 
it  would  run  away  with  them." 

"  Oh  !  make  the  queer  old  man  carry  it,  and 
have  it  run  away  with  him,"  screamed  Joel ; 
"do,  Polly." 

"  No,  no,"  said  old  Mr.  King,  seeing  Polly 


THE    GREEN    UMBRELLA.  321 

hesitate  ;  "  I  sha'n't  have  any  such  work  as  that. 
This  story  is  begun,  and  I'm  going  to  hear  the 
rest  about  Araminta  Sophia.  Go  on,  Polly,  my 
girl." 

"And  some  other  day  I'll  tell  you  how  the 
queer  old  man  did  carry  the  green  umbrella, 
and  it  did  run  away  with  him,"  said  Polly,  with 
a  bright  smile  for  all.  "  Well,  so  Araminta 
Sophia  took  down  the  green  umbrella  from  its 
golden  peg,  and  then  she  hung  a  little  basket 
on  her  arm  to  bring  the  fish  home  in,  and  off 
she  started,  as  nice  as  you  please.  And  just  as 
soon  as  she  got  outside  the  door  of  the  perfectly 
funny  little  house,  all  the  birds  in  the  tree  that 
hung  over  it,  and  in  the  trees  all  around,  whis- 
pered to  each  other,  and  piped  and  trilled, 
and  sang  it  over  and  over,  'Here  comes  the 
green  umbrella!  Here  comes  the  green  um- 
brella!'" 

"What  did  they  all  say  that  for?"  asked 
Joel. 

"  Oh !  you'll  hear,"  answered  Polly,  "  if  you 
wait.  Well,  that  is  just  what  all  the  birds  did 
say ;  they  always  said  it  whenever  they  saw 
Araminta  Sophia  come  out  under  the  green 
umbrella.  You  see,  if  she  hadn't  got  it,  all  the 


322      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

birds  would  have  flown  at  her,  and  jumped  down 
on  her  head,  and  made  a  nest  in  her  hair." 

"  Oh,  dear  me  ! "  cried  all  the  boys  together. 

"And  so  she  had  to  take  it  every  single  time 
she  went  out  to  walk,"  said  Polly  decidedly, 
"  else  it  would  have  been  perfectly  dreadful. 
Well,  off  she  went,  with  the  little  basket  that 
she  was  to  bring  the  fish  home  in,  hanging  on 
her  arm ;  when,  as  she  turned  a  sudden  corner, 
an  old  woman  with  a  big  brown  cloak  on,  and 
her  face  all  hidden  in  the  back  of  a  big  hood, 
stepped  up  to  her  and  said,  '  Pretty  little  lady, 
what  have  you  there  ? '  Now  Araminta  Sophia, 
had  always  been  told  by  her  father,  the  queer 
little  man,  not  to  talk  to  strangers  ;  and  she  was 
going  right  on  under  her  green  umbrella,  when 
the  old  woman  said  again,  '  Pretty  little  lady, 
how  your  eyes  shine!  what  have  you  there?' 

"'I  am  going  to  buy  some  fish,  good  woman, 
for  my  father's  breakfast,'  said  Araminta  So- 
phia, stopping  just  a  moment.  And  before  she 
could  say  another  word,  the  old  woman  put  her 
hand  under  her  long  brown  cloak,  and  drawing 
it  out,  she  bent  over  the  little  basket.  'Look 
within  !  Look  within  ! '  she  screamed." 

"What    was    it?"    shouted    Joel;    and    the 


THE  GREEN    UMBRELLA. 


323 


others  demanding  to  know  the  same  thing,  old 
Mr.  King's  writing-room  was  presently  the 
scene  of  great  confusion.  When  it  cleared 


1  Look  within  !  "  screamed  the  old 


away,  Polly  was  saying,  "  And  so  Araminta 
Sophia  peered  into  the  basket ;  and  the  more 
she  looked,  she  couldn't  see  anything.  And  so 


324      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

she  said  pretty  soon,  '  Good  woman,  I  see 
nothing.' 

" '  Give  me  the  umbrella  a  minute,  stupid 
creature,'  said  the  old  woman;  'I'll  hold  it 
over  your  head,  and  do  you  tip  up  the  basket 
with  both  of  your  hands,  and  then  you  will 
get  the  pretty  gift  I  have  thrown  within  it  for 
you.' 

"  Now,  Araminta  Sophia  wanted  dreadfully 
the  beautiful  gift  the  old  woman  had  put  in 
the  basket.  '  Hold  the  umbrella  carefully  over 
my  head,'  she  said,  giving  it  into  the  skinny 
hand.  And  in  a  minute,  as  soon  as  the  words 
had  left  her  mouth,  away  flew  the  old  woman, 
the  green  umbrella  and  all,  into  the  sky." 

"  Oh,  dear  me ! "  howled  all  the  boys  together. 
Phronsie  snuggled  down  into  Polly's  lap,  and 
held  tightly  to  her. 

" '  Pretty  creature  with  the  shining  eyes, 
look  out  for  the  birds  !  '  screamed  the  old 
woman  in  the  brown  cloak,  mounting  the  sky, 
and  holding  the  green  umbrella  tightly  in  her 
skinny  hands.  And  then  she  laughed  a  dread- 
ful laugh.  And  Araminta  Sophia  sat  down  on 
a  big  stone  by  the  roadside,  and  put  her  face  in 
her  two  hands,  and  cried  as  hard  as  she  could." 


THE    GREEN    UMBRELLA.  325 

"  Oh,  dear  me  !  "  said  the  boys  again  ;  while 
Phronsie  gave  a  long  sigh,  and  crept  within 
Polly's  arms  closer  than  ever. 

"  Don't  feel  badly,"  said  Polly  ;  "  but  wait  and 
see  if  perfectly  splendid  times  don't  come  to 
Araminta  Sophia.  Well,  there  she  sat,  crying 
away  on  her  stone,  her  little  basket  dangling  on 
her  arm,  and  the  birds  flying  about  her  ;*  and 
as  soon  as  they  saw  the  old  woman  mount  up 
to  the  sky  carrying  the  green  umbrella,  every 
single  bird  screamed  right  out,  'Oh,  come,  the 
green  umbrella's  gone !  the  green  umbrella's 
gone  ! '  and  they  all  hopped  down  on  Araminta 
Sophia's  head,  till  you  couldn't  see  anything 
but  a  heap  of  birds,  and  "  — 

"  Oh,  dear  me  !  "  cried  all  the  boys  again,  — 
and,  "  Do  make  somebody  come  out  and  shoot 
them,"  cried  Joel  in  great  excitement. 

"  Wait  and  see,"  said  Polly  merrily.  "  Well, 
when  Araminta  Sophia  felt  all  the  birds  hop- 
ping down  on  her  head,  she  spoke  up  very 
humbly,  '  Oh,  if  you  please,  little  birds,  I  should 
like  to  have  you  get  off  from  my  head.' 

' '  We  can't,'  said  one  of  the  birds,  peering 
at  her  with  one  eye ;  '  for  the  old  woman  that 
has  gone  up  into  the  sky  won't  let  us.'  " 


326      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

"She's  a  bad  old  woman,"  shouted  Joel  vin- 
dictively ;  "  make  something  come  and  eat  her 
up." 

"  '  Please  get  off  from  my  head,'  begged 
Araminta  Sophia,  and  '  We  can't,  because  the 
old  woman  up  in  the  sky  won't  let  us,'  the 
birds  kept  saying  ;  when  suddenly,  when  no  one 
was  'looking,  along  came  a  man  with  a  big  gun 
over  his  shoulder.  '  Ah,  ha  ! '  he  said,  '  now 
I'll  have  those  birds.'  " 

"  Goody  !  "  cried  Joel,  slapping  his  hands 
together  smartly.  "  Oh  !  make  him  catch  every 
single  one,  Polly." 

"Don't  let  him  hurt  Aramin  —  what  is  her 
name,  Polly  ?  "  begged  Phronsie. 

"  Araminta  Sophia.  No,  pet ;  she's  not  to 
be  hurt,"  promised  Polly,  patting  Phronsie's 
yellow  hair.  "  Well,  up  went  the  man's  big 
gun,  and  bang !  bang  !  every  single  bird  fell 
dead  to  the  ground." 

It  was  impossible  to  describe  the  excitement 
now,  and  Polly  felt  warm  little  thrills  at  her 
heart  to  see  it  all. 

"  And  don't  you  think,  boys  and  Phronsie," 
she  ran  on  gayly,  "  that  the  old  woman  in  the 
brown  cloak,  who  had  mounted  the  sky  carry- 


THE    GREEN    UMBRELLA.  327 

ing  the  green  umbrella,  peered  down  from  under 
it ;  and  when  she  saw  what  was  going  on  she 
was  very  angry,  and  she  cried  great  big  tears, 
and  she  couldn't  stop,  but  kept  crying  and  cry- 
ing, and  the  tears  grew  bigger  and  bigger,  and 
they  fell  all  over  her  skinny  hands,  and  washed 
the  handle  of  the  green  umbrella  out  of  them  ; 
for  the  tears  fell  over  them  so  fast  she  couldn't 
hold  it,  you  know ;  and  so  away  it  fell  down  to 
earth  again,  down,  down,  till  it  came  right  on 
top  of  Araminta  Sophia's  head." 

"  And  Ara  —  what  is  it,  Polly  ? "  cried  Phron- 
sie,  greatly  excited,  "  got  her.  green  umbrella 
again,  didn't  she,  Polly  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  Polly,  nodding  her  head  briskly ; 
"there  it  was,  just  as  good  as  ever.  So  Ara- 
minta Sophia  jumped  up,  and  was  just  going 
off  with  her  little  basket  she  was  to  bring 
home  the  fish  in,  and  carrying  the  green  um- 
brella over  her  head,  when  the  man  with  the 
big  gun  said,  '  Stay ! '  so  Araminta  Sophia 
stopped  right  straight  off  where  she  was. 

" '  Is  that  old  woman  in  a  brown  cloak  any 
relation  of  yours  ? '  for  the  old  woman  was 
coming  down  from  the  sky,  and  they  could 
just  see  her  cloak. 


328      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

" '  Oh,  no  !  '  said  Araminta  Sophia,  looking 
out  from  under  her  green  umbrella,  and  getting 
up  closer  to  the  man  with  the  big  gun  ;  '  she 
ran  off  with  my  green  umbrella.' 

" '  Flew  off,  you  mean/  said  the  man  ;  '  you 
should  always  say  what  you  mean,  child.  Well 
now,  old  woman  with  the  brown  cloak,  you 
have  flown  up  there,  and  there  you  must  stay.' 

" '  Let  me  come  down,'  squealed  the  old 
woman  angrily;  'get  out  of  the  way,  and  let 
me  come  down.' 

"'No,  indeed,'  said  the  man,  and  he  put 
his  big  gun  to  his  shoulder ;  '  you  flew  up 
there,  and  there  you  must  stay,  or  I'll  shoot 
your  head  off.'  " 

"  Whoopity-la  ! "  howled  Joel,  springing  to 
his  feet,  followed  by  Davie  and  the  Whitney 
boys,  "  this  way  ; "  and  he  put  an  imaginary  gun 
to  his  shoulder,  and  took  aim  at  a  fanciful  old 
woman  in  a  brown  cloak  up  in  the  sky.  "  Bang  ! 
bang !  there  you  go,  old  woman,  and  your 
head's  off." 

"  No ;  no,  he  didn't  say  so,"  cried  Davie, 
running  up  to  Joel ;  "  the  man  with  the  big 
gun  said  he  would  shoot  her  head  off  if  she 
came  down,  Joe." 


THE    GREEN    UMBRELLA.  329 

"  I  don't  care,"  said  Joel,  banging  away ; 
"  I'  m  going  to  shoot  her,  anyway ;  she's  a 
horrible  old  woman,  and  I  sha'n't  let  her  come 
down.  Bang  !  bang  !  " 

'•  Well,  that  isn't  the  way  to  do  it,"  said  Van, 
twitching  at  the  imaginary  gun;  "you  don't 
aim  high  enough." 

"And  couldn't  the  old  woman  ever  come 
down,  Polly  ? "  asked  Phronsie,  a  troubled  look 
beginning  to  settle  over  her  face. 

"  No,  dear,"  said  Polly  ;  "  there  she  had  to 
stay." 

"  Not  ever  come  down  ?  "  persisted  Phron- 
sie. 

"  No ;  that  is,"  as  she  looked  at  Phronsie's 
face,  "  I  guess  the  man  with  the  big  gun  would 
let  her  come  down  once  in  a  while ;  and  then 
Araminta  Sophia  could  stay  in  the  perfectly 
funny  little  house  and  shut  the  door,  you  know, 
so  the  old  woman  couldn't  let  any  more  birds 
get  in  her  hair.  And  then  back  she  would 
have  to  fly  up  into  the  sky  again,  —  the*  old 
woman  with  the  brown  cloak,  I  mean,  —  for 
the  man  with  the  big  gun  said  if  she  didn't 
he  should  know  it,  and  he  would  come  and 
shoot  her  head  off." 


33O      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

"  Polly,"  said  Phronsie,  laying  her  cheek 
against  Polly's  rosy  one,  "  I  am  so  very  glad 
you  let  that  old  woman  come  down  sometimes, 
because  maybe  she  had  a  little  girl  and  she 
wanted  to  see  her.  I  am  so  glad,  Polly." 


THE    QUEER    LITTLE    MAN.  33! 


XX. 

THE    GREEN    UMBRELLA    AND    THE    QUEER 
LITTLE    MAN. 

COME  on,"  shouted  Van  at  the  bottom  of 
the  stairs,  "  Polly  Pepper  is  going  to  tell 
the  story  of  '  The  Green  Umbrella  and  the 
Queer  Little  Man.'  Come  on  ! "  and  in  two 
minutes  the  bunch  of  the  youngest  Peppers, 
with  Percy  and  little  Dick,  precipitated  them- 
selves over  the  stairs,  and  raced  along  at  his 
heels  until  they  all  brought  up  in  Jasper's 
den. 

"Now,  that's  fine!"  exclaimed  Jasper,  jump- 
ing out  of  his  chair  behind  the  writing-table,  as 
they  all  plunged  in,  Van  having  made  the  ap- 
pointment in  advance  ;  "  but  where's  Polly  ?  " 

"  Oh,  she's  coming ! "  cried  Van,  rushing 
around  and  tumbling  over  everybody  else  in  his 
eagerness  to  draw  up  the  seats  ;  "  she's  up  in 
Ben's  room,  and  they're  both  coming  in  a  min- 


332      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

ute  or  two.  Here,  you  fellows,"  to  Percy  and 
Dick,  "  help  along  with  these  chairs,  will 
you  ?  " 

Percy,  who  didn't  like  to  move  quickly  at 
anything  that  was  like  work,  slowly  managed  to 
draw  up  one  chair,  into  which  he  planted  himself 
drawing  a  long  sigh  as  he  sat  clown. 

"That's  nice,"  growled  Van,  quite  red  in  the 
face  from  his  exertions  ;  "  you  feel  smart,  don't 
you,  to  leave  us  to  do  all  the  work  as  usual." 

Percy  pretended  not  to  hear,  which  so  enraged 
Van  that  he  ran  up  and  planted  a  smart  rap  on 
Percy's  back  as  he  leaned  back  composedly  in 
his  chair. 

"  Do  that  again,  will  you  ?  "  he  cried,  whirling 
around  to  glare  at  Van  ;  "  I'll  knock  your  head 
off,  if  you  do." 

"Here,  here!"  exclaimed  Jasper,  looking  up 
quickly  from  the  corner  where  he  was  piling 
away  his  school-books  till  it  was  time  to  fly  to 
work  on  them  again.  "  You'll  march  out  of  this 
room  if  you  carry  on  like  that,  I  can  tell  you. 
Up  and  apologize  to  each  other,  now,  both  of 
you  chaps." 

"  He's  always  pitching  into  me,"  cried  Percy, 
his  face  getting  a  lively  red,  for  he  hated  above 


THE    QUEER    LITTLE    MAN.  333 

all  things  to  miss  Jasper's  approval;  "and  I'm 
tired  of  it." 

"  Apologize,  I  say,"  commanded  Jasper,  with 
a  bob  of  his  head  that  Percy  knew  meant  busi- 
ness, "  or  out  you  go.  While  as  for  you,  Van, 
I  don't  know  but  what  I  much  better  pitch  you 
out  neck  and  heels,  as  it  seems  you  begun  it." 

"  Oh !  I'll  apologize ;  I'll  say  anything  you 
want,  Jappy,"  cried  Van  in  alarm ;  for  invitations 
to  Jasper's  den  didn't  come  often  enough  to  be 
lightly  regarded  ;  and  not  waiting  for  a  reply, 
he  ran  around  Percy's  chair,  and  stuck  out  his 
hand.  "  I'm  sorry ;  but  I  wish  somebody  else 
would  pitch  into  you,  for  you're  so  mean  and 
lazy." 

"  Hold  on !  "  roared  Jasper  at  him  ;  "  that's  no 
apology." 

"  I  don't  mind  it,"  said  Percy  carelessly  ;  and 
he  extended  his  hand  with  a  patronizing  air  that 
made  Van  furious,  and  sent  him  back  to  his 
work  over  the  seats  in  anything  but  a  sweet 
frame  of  mind. 

"  How  Polly  Pepper  ever  gets  along  with 
you,  I  don't  see,"  said  Jasper  in  despair,  as  he 
retreated  to  his  corner. 

"  Oh !  we  don't  act  so  before  her,"  observed 


334      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

Van  pleasantly,  pulling  and  pushing  some  re- 
fractory chairs  into  place. 

"Well,  I  should  be  ashamed  to  act  worse 
when  she  is  not  by,"  retorted  Jasper  scornfully  ; 
"  think  how  dreadfully  she  would  feel  to  see  you 
chaps  going  on  so." 

Percy  hung  his  head  ;  and  Van  cried  out  in 
alarm,  "  Oh,  don't  tell  her,  Jappy,  don't  tell  her !  " 

"  As  if  I'd  want  to  tell  her,"  exclaimed  Jasper 
in  greater  scorn  than  ever. 

Meantime  Polly,  who  had  taken  her  recrea- 
tion hour  the  day  before  to  plan  out  this  story 
of  "The  Green  Umbrella  and  the  Queer  Little 
Man,"  was  sitting  down  on  the  floor,  her  head 
in  Mother  Pepper's  lap,  while  Mamsie's  hands 
softly  smoothed  the  brown  hair. 

"  I  don't  see  how  I  came  to  say  it,"  she 
mourned  for  about  the  fortieth  time ;  "  the 
words  seemed  to  slip  out,  Mamsie,  without  my 
saying  them  ;  and  then  I  couldn't  stop." 

"  No,  that  is  generally  the  way,"  observed 
Mother  Pepper  ;  "  when  any  one  lets  ill  temper 
say  the  first  word,  good-by  to  all  peace  of  mind. 
So  watch  the  first  word,  Polly." 

Down  went  Polly's  head  lower  than  ever  in 
Mother  Pepper's  lap. 


THE    QUEER    LITTLE    MAN.  335 

"  I  know  you  were  tired  of  telling  stories  to 
the  children,"  went  on  Mrs.  Pepper,  "but  that's 
no  excuse;  and  besides,  you  had  promised." 

"  I  know  it,"  mumbled  poor  Polly  into  Mother 
Pepper's  stuff  gown. 

"And  if  a  body  is  going  to  do  a  kindness 
for  another,  it's  best  to  do  it  cheerfully,  remem- 
ber that,  Polly." 

Polly  didn't  say  anything,  and  the  kind  hands 
kept  up  their  stroking  of  the  brown  hair,  and 
the  clock  on  the  shelf  ticked  away  busily  as 
much  as  to  say,  "  Remember  that,  Polly." 

"And  now,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper  at  last,  quite 
cheerily,  "  I  wouldn't  ever  say  anything  more 
about  this.  We've  talked  it  over,  you  and  I, 
a  good  many  times,  and  you've  told  Mr.  King, 
so  it's  no  good  to  keep  it  alive.  Just  do  the 
best  you  can  now,  Polly.  Only  remember 
never  to  let  it  happen  again." 

"  Mamsie  ! "  exclaimed  Polly,  lifting  her  head 
from  Mrs.  Pepper's  lap  suddenly,  and  sitting 
quite  straight  on  the  floor,  her  brown  eyes 
shining  through  her  tears,  "  I  just  hope  there'll 
be,  oh !  lots  and  lots  to  do  for  those  boys.  I 
love  to  tell  them  stories,  and  I'm  going  to  do 
everything  else  I  can  think  of  for  them  too." 


336      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

"There'll  be  enough  you  can  do  for  them, 
I  guess,  Polly,"  observed  her  mother  wisely  ; 
"and  that's  the  better  way  to  show  you're  sorry 
than  talking  about  it.  There,  here  comes  one 
of  them  now  for  you,"  as  Van  bounded  in, 
holding  out  both  hands,  much  as  if  Polly  Pepper 
were  a  parcel,  and  he  was  to  bear  her  down 
to  the  waiting  group  below. 

"  O  Polly  !  we're  ready,"  he  began  ;  but  she 
sprang  to  her  feet  and  interrupted  him.  "  Oh  ! 
for  the  story,  Van  ?  All  right,  I'll  go  ;  "  and 
she  ran  to  the  door,  but  she  came  flying  back. 
"Good-by,  Mamsie;"  and  she  tried  to  set  a 
kiss  on  the  smoothly  banded  black  hair,  but 
Mrs.  Pepper  lifted  her  head  quickly,  so  the 
soft  little  kiss  dropped  on  the  end  of  her  nose, 
which  made  them  all  laugh  merrily. 

"  Here  she  is  !  "  cried  Van,  throwing  open  the 
door  of  Jasper's  den,  and  handing  Polly  Pepper 
in  with  a  flourish  ;  "  and  Polly  wasn't  in  Ben's 
room  after  all ;  I  had  the  greatest  time  to  find 
her." 

"No,"  said  Polly,  her  cheeks  as  red  as  a 
rose,  "I  was  in  Mamsie's  room." 

"  Well,  where  is  Ben  ?  "  cried  Percy  from 
the  depths  of  his  comfortable  chair. 


THE    QUEER    LITTLE    MAN.  337 


338  STORIES    POLLY    PEPPER    TOLD. 

"  Go  and  find  him  for  yourself,"  Van  was 
on  the  point  of  saying,  but  a  glance  at  Jasper 
made  him  send  the  words  back. 

"  Sit  here,  Polly,"  Jasper  was  saying,  con- 
ducting Polly  to  the  big  chair  back  of  the  table. 

"  O  Jasper !  that  looks  as  if  I  was  going  to 
give  a  lecture,"  laughed  Polly;  "dear  me,  how 
pompous ! " 

"Well,  you  must  sit  there,"  declared  Jasper, 
clearing  a  better  space  on  the  table.  "  Dear 
me,  I  make  no  end  of  a  mess  with  my  papers." 

"Never  mind,"  said  Polly  brightly,  "I'll  help 
you,  Jasper."  So  together  they  piled  the 
papers  up  neatly,  and  Jasper  crammed  the 
whole  budget  into  the  table-drawer;  then  he 
rapped  with  the  paper-weight. 

"  The  meeting  will  come  to  order.  Does 
anybody  know  anything  about  Ben?"  when 
the  door  opened,  and  in  stalked  that  individual. 

"  Had  to  go  down  town  to  carry  my  boots  to 
be  mended,"  he  said.  "Whew,  didn't  I  run 
home,  though  !  Nearly  knocked  over  an  old 
woman  with  a  basket  coming  around  the 
corner." 

"  Did  you  knock  her  over,  Bensie  ? "  asked 
Phronsie,  leaving  the  chair  she  was  tugging  at 


THE    QUEER    LITTLE    MAN.  339 

to  draw  it  closer  to  Polly,  and  coming  up  to 
look  at  him  gravely. 

"No,  I  didn't,"  said  Ben,  getting  into  the 
nearest  chair.  "  I  put  out  both  arms,  and  I 
screamed,  '  Hi,  there ! '  and  the  old  woman 
and  basket  and  all  walked  right  into  them." 

"  That  was  nice,"  observed  Phronsie  in  great 
satisfaction,  "then  she  didn't  tumble  ;"  and  she 
went  back  to  her  chair,  and  mounted  it  to  fold 
her  hands  in  her  lap. 

"  Polly  Pepper  is  to  tell  a  special  story  by 
request,"  announced  Jasper  with  a  grandilo- 
quent air  as  if  addressing  a  large  assembly, 
"and  if  the  audience  will  be  so  good  as  to 
come  to  order,  she  will  begin  it  at  once.  If 
you  don't  stop  talking  and  be  quiet,  I'll  pitch 
you  all  out  of  the  window,"  he  added  in  his 
natural  voice. 

"  That's  a  great  way  to  address  an  audience, 
I  should  think,"  said  Ben  in  pretended  indig- 
nation. 

"I  can't  help  it,"  said  Jasper  recklessly. 
"  Now  'then,  Polly,  they're  still  for  just  a 
minute,  so  you  would  better  begin." 

"  I  promised  to  tell  you  the  story,"  began 
Polly  brightly,  "  of  the  Green  Umbrella  and 


340      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

the  Queer  Little  Man,  and  how  it  danced  away 
with  him." 

"  Yes,  yes  !  "  cried  all  the  roomful.  Phron- 
sie  smoothed  down  her  white  apron  in  great 
satisfaction. 

"  Well,  so  here  it  is.  Now,  you  know 
Araminta  Sophia  got  the  green  umbrella  all 
safely  back  again  when  the  man  with  the  big 
gun  "  — 

"Scared  the  old  woman  in  the"  —  began 
Joel,  but  Ben  plucked  him  by  the  jacket  collar. 
"Go  on,  Polly,"  he  said  coolly;  "I'll  hold  this 
chap  still  through  this  story." 

"  Well,  she  hung  it  up  on  the  big  golden  key 
when  she  got  home,"  ran  on  Polly  ;  "you  know 
she  had  to  buy  the  fish  for  her  father's  break- 
fast before  she  could  go  home,  and  "  — 

"What  was  in  the  basket,  Polly?"  asked 
Phronsie  suddenly,  stopping  the  smoothing 
process  to  look  at  Polly. 

"Why,  the  fish,"  said  Polly,  "of  course.  I 
just  told  you  that,  child." 

"  No,  no,"  said  Phronsie,  shaking  her  head, 
"  I  don't  mean  the  fish.  I  mean  the  other 
thing,  Polly." 

"  I   don't  know  what   you  mean,  Phronsie," 


THE    QUEER   LITTLE    MAN.  34! 

said  Polly,  looking  around  on  the  group  in  a 
puzzled  way. 

"  The  other  thing,"  persisted  Phronsie,  clam- 
bering down  from  her  chair  to  come  to  Polly's 
side.  "  What  the  old  woman  said  she  put  in, 
Polly." 

"  Oh  ! "  said  Polly ;  then  she  burst  into  a 
merry  laugh.  "  None  of  you  boys  remembered 
to  ask  me  that,  and  I  forgot  it  myself.  Oh ! 
'twas  just  her  ringers,  Phronsie ;  that  was 
all." 

"  Whose  ringers  ?  "  asked  Phronsie  very  much 
mystified. 

"  Why,  the  long  skinny  ones  that  belonged  to 
the  old  woman,"  said  Polly.  "  She  put  them 
in  the  basket,  and  just  pulled  them  out  again." 

"  But  she  said  she  put  in  a  gift  for  Ara  — 
what  did  you  call  her,  Polly  ?  "  said  Phronsie. 

"Araminta  Sophia,"  said  Polly;  "well,  she 
said  that  because  she  was  a  naughty  old  woman, 
Phronsie.  There  wasn't  any  gift  at  all.  Now 
go  and  sit  in  your  chair  again,  that's  a  good 
girl,  then  I'll  go  on  with  the  story." 

So  Phronsie  clambered  into  her  chair,  and 
laid  her  hands  in  her  lap.  But  her  mind  was 
busy  over  the  naughty  old  woman,  and  the 


342      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

absence  of  the  gift  in  the  little  basket  that  was 
to  bring  home  the  fish. 

"Well,  where  was  I?"  began  Polly  again. 
"  Oh  !  I  know.  Araminta  Sophia  was  hanging 
up  the  green  umbrella  on  the  golden  hook, 
when  suddenly  the  door  of  the  shed  opened 
wide,  and  in  came  her  father,  the  queer  little 
man.  '  What  a  time  you  have  been  away, 
daughter,'  he  squeaked  out. 

"  '  I  couldn't  help  it,  father,'  said  Araminta 
Sophia  ;  and  then  she  told  him  the  reason  why 
and  all  about  it ;  but  the  queer  little  man  only 
said,  'What  a  tiresome  story;  tell  me  some 
other  time.'  " 

"  I  don't  think  that  was  very  polite,"  began 
Joel,  but  Ben  took  another  hold  of  his  jacket 
collar. 

"  He  was  more  polite  than  you  are,"  whis- 
pered Ben. 

"  '  And  you  needn't  take  the  trouble  to  hang 
up  that  green  umbrella,  daughter,'  said  the 
queer  little  old  man  ;  '  for  I  am  going  out  to 
walk  with  it  myself.' 

"  '  Father  ! '  exclaimed  Araminta  Sophia,  turn- 
ing pale  with  fright,  '  why,  you've  never  done 
such  a  thing  in  all  your  life  ; '  and  she  clasped 


THE    QUEER    LITTLE    MAN.  343 

her  hands  tightly  together  around  the  green 
umbrella. 

"  '  Silly  chit ! '  cried  the  queer  little  old  man 
in  a  terrible  passion,  *  do  you  think  you  are 
going  to  tell  me  what  to  do  ?  Give  me  that 
umbrella  this  very  second.' 

"Araminta  Sophia  tumbled  down  to  her 
knees,  holding  on  to  the  green  umbrella,  and 
besought  him  that  he  wouldn't  take  it  from 
her,  but  would  let  her  hang  it  in  its  place  on 
the  golden  hook. 

" '  The  man  out  there  with  his  gun  will  shoot 
you,'  at  last  she  said.  'He's  most  dreadfully 
big  too,'  which  was  the  very  worst  thing  she 
could  have  said  ;  for  the  queer  little  man  always 
fancied  that  he  was  as  strong  as  a  lion,  and  it 
made  him  very  angry  to  hear  of  anybody  bigger 
than  he  was.  So  now  he  squeaked  out  in  what 
he  fancied  was  a  terrible  voice,  '  Give  me  that 
umbrella  this  instant,  or  I'll  put  you  up  in  the 
corner  with  your  face  to  the  wall.' 

"  After  this  terrible  threat,  Araminta  Sophia 
handed  him  the  green  umbrella  without  a  word  ; 
and  then  she  tumbled  over  on  the  floor  in  a 
dead  faint,  and  the  old  white  cat,  who  caught 
all  the  spiders  and  mice  in  the  perfectly  funny 


344 


STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 


little  house,  crept  in  and  licked  her  face,  until 
she  came  to  and  sat  up  straight." 

"  That  was  nice  of  the  old  white  cat,"  said 


Phronsie  smoothed  down  her  white 
apron  in  satisfaction. 


Phronsie  to  herself,  smoothing  down  her  apron 
again  in  satisfaction. 

"But  by  that  time  the  queer  little  old  man 
was  gone,  and  the  green   umbrella  with  him. 


THE  QUEER    LITTLE    MAN.  345 

At  first  he  walked  along  quite  fiercely,  taking 
what  he  thought  were  very  big  steps,  but  they 
were  little  bits  of  mincing  steps  like  "  — 

"Show  us,  Polly,  do,"  begged  Van.  So  Polly 
hopped  out  from  her  seat  behind  the  table,  and 
amid  peals  of  laughter  she  minced  up  and  down 
like  a  tiny,  queer  little  man,  until  she  nearly 
tumbled  over  on  her  nose. 

"  Dear  me ! "  she  exclaimed,  as  she  hopped 
into  her  seat  again,  "  it's  perfectly  dreadful  to 
be  so  little.  Well,  where  was  I?  Oh,  well! 
off  he  stepped,  holding  up  the  green  umbrella 
as  proudly  as  possible,  and  wishing  there  was 
somebody  to  see  how  nice  he  looked;  but  there 
wasn't,  only  a  pig  behind  a  fence  looking  out 
through  the  holes,  and  he  didn't  care  in  the 
least,  for  he  was  grunting  for  something  to 
eat,  so  you  see  the  queer  little  old  man  had 
to  go  mincing  and  nipping  on  quite  alone. 

"Well,  and  before  he  knew  it,  he  was  step- 
ping off  very  briskly.  '  Dear  me,  how  young 
I  feel ! '  he  exclaimed  to  himself.  '  It  all  conies 
of  carrying  this  green  umbrella  ;  now  I  mean 
to  take  it  out  to  walk  every  day.'  And  as 
he  finished  the  last  word,  he  found  himself 
running. 


346      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

"'This  is  perfectly  splendid!'  he  cried  joy- 
fully ;  'I  don't  know  when  I've  had  such  a  good 
run.  Now  I'll  enjoy  it  till  I  get  to  that  tree 
yonder ;  then  I  must  stop,  for  I  shall  be  quite 
tired.' 

"  And  in  a  minute  he  was  close  to  the  big 
tree;  but  just  as  swiftly,  before  he  could  draw 
another  breath,  he  was  whisked  by.  He  stuck 
out  his  arm,  the  one  that  wasn't  carrying  the 
green  umbrella,  you  know,  and  he  tried  to  catch 
hold  of  the  tree ;  but  alas  !  he  was  running  by 
at  the  top  of  his  speed,  and  now  the  big  tree 
was  clear  way  behind,  and  "  — 

"And  couldn't  he  stop?"  cried  Phronsie 
with  wide  eyes.  "  Do  make  him  stop,  Polly." 

"  I  can't,"  said  Polly,  "  because  this  is  the 
story,  you  know,  of  how  the  green  umbrella  ran 
away  with  the  queer  little  old  man." 

"  This  queer  little  old  man  has  got  to  run, 
Phronsie,"  said  Jasper,  "  so  we  shall  have  to 
let  him." 

But  Phronsie  sighed  as  she  folded  her  hands. 

"  And  the  queer  little  old  man  knew,  too,  by 
this  time  that  he  had  got  to  run,"  Polly  was 
saying  ;  "  and  he  began  to  sigh  and  to  groan, 
1  Oh,  I  wish  I  hadn't  taken  this  green  umbrella  ; ' 


THE   QUEER   LITTLE   MAN.  347 

and  all  the  while  he  was  going  faster  and  faster, 
till  his  head  began  to  spin,  and  he  thought  he 
should  drop  down  in  the  road ;  but  he  couldn't, 
you  see,  for  his  little  bits  of  feet  kept  hopping 
and  skipping  along,  so  of  course  there  was  no 
time  for  him  to  tumble  flat.  And  in  a  minute 
he  came  to  a  great  big  pond  and  "  — 

"  Like  what  you  said  Cherry  Brook  was  ? " 
cried  Van,  breaking  in. 

"  Dear  me,  no,"  said  Polly  with  a  little  laugh  ; 
"  this  was  ever  and  ever  so  many  times  bigger, 
like"  — 

"  Oh  !  I  know,"  declared  Joel  in  an  important 
way,  quite  delighted  to  show  Van  his  superior 
knowledge ;  "  it  was  like  Spot  Pond,  Polly,  over 
by  Badgertown  woods." 

"  Yes,"  said  Polly  with  shining  eyes,  "  it 
was,  Joel,  just  like  dear  old  Spot  Pond  by 
Badgertown  woods ; "  and  she  leaned  her 
cheeks  on  her  two  hands  and  her  elbows  on 
the  table,  lost  in  delightful  reminiscence  over 
Joel's  words. 

Van  got  out  of  his  chair,  and  slipping  away 
from  the  reach  of  Jasper's  fingers,  he  plucked 
Polly's  sleeve.  "  You  said  the  queer  little  old 
man  and  the  green  umbrella  came  to  a  big 


348      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

place  just  like  Spot  Pond,"  he  whispered  in 
her  ear. 

"What  — oh!"  said  Polly,  lifting  her  head 
up  suddenly.  "  Yes,  so  I  did.  '  Well  now,'  said 
the  poor  little  queer  old  man  to  himself,  'I  shall 
surely  stop  ;  I  am  so  glad  to  see  this  water,  for 
I  am  really  almost  run  to  death.'  But  the 
green  umbrella  made  him  hop  clear  across  the 
pond  ;  and  there  he  was  on  the  other  side,  run- 
ning for  dear  life  through  a  brambly  wood,  and 
up  the  side  of  a  mountain." 

Van  ran  back  to  his  seat,  hugging  himself 
joyfully  at  this  entrancing  stage  of  the  story. 
"  Now,  there  were  some  people  living  on  the 
top  of  that  mountain,"  said  Polly  quite  impres- 
sively, "who  were  very  funny  people  indeed. 
They  were  thin  and  tall  —  oh!  just  as  thin  as 
bean-poles,  and  as  high  ;  and  when  they  went 
out  they  always  pulled  on  seven-league  boots, 
and  "  — 

"  What  are  those  boots,  Polly  ?  "  asked  Phron- 
sie  quickly. 

"  Oh  !  let  me  tell  her,"  cried  Vane  agerly,  de- 
lighted to  think  there  was  something  he  could 
show  off  in  to  advantage.  "  I  know ;  my  fairy 
book  tells  all  about  it." 


THE    QUEER   LITTLE    MAN.  349 

"  Well,  I  shall  tell,"  declared  Percy  for  the 
same  reason.  "  You  see,  Phronsie  "  — 

"  No,  indeed  you  shall  not,"  exclaimed  Van 
in  a  dudgeon  ;  and  forgetting  all  about  Polly 
Pepper  being  there,  "I  began  first;"  and  de- 
serting his  chair  again,  he  ran  over  to  Phron- 
sie's  side,  and  tried  to  take  her  hand ;  but  she 
kept  it  folded  over  the  other  one  in  her  lap,  and 
looked  gravely  at  him. 

"And  I  say  I  shall,"  cried  Percy  in  a  pas- 
sion and  forgetting  the  same  thing ;  "  and  as 
for  your  beginning  first,  you  are  always  crowd- 
ing in,  so  that's  nothing." 

Polly  leaned  back  in  her  big  chair,  and  looked 
at  them  in  dismay. 

"And  I  think  you  would  both  better  go  out 
of  my  den,"  said  Jasper  coldly. 

"  O  Jasper  !  "  exclaimed  Polly  quickly.  At 
the  sound  of  her  voice  both  boys  turned  and 
looked  at  her.  "  I  didn't  mean  to  !  "  exclaimed 
Van,  wilting  miserably.  "And  I  didn't  either," 
cried  Percy,  wishing  he  wasn't  so  big,  and  could 
creep  into  a  corner. 

"  And  please  don't,"  cried  Polly  at  them  ; 
and  she  clasped  her  hands,  a'nd  her  cheeks  got 
rosy  red  again. 


35O  STORIES    POLLY    PEPPER    TOLD. 

"  We  won't  !  we  won't  ! "  they  both  prom- 
ised ;  and  Van  slipped  back  to  his  seat,  and 
Percy  said,  "  You  may  tell  Phronsie,  Van,  if 
you  want  to." 

"No,  I  don't,"  said  Van,  getting  down  as 
small  in  his  chair  as  he  could,  feeling  Polly's 
brown  eyes  looking  him  through. 

"I  would  rather  have  Polly  tell  me,"  said 
Phronsie  with  grave  eyes  for  both  of  the  boys. 

"Yes,  you  tell  her,  Polly,  do,"  said  Jasper; 
"  that  is  best." 

So  Polly  told  Phronsie  all  about  what  seven- 
league  boots  were,  and  how  the  people  who 
wore  them  could  take  great  big  steps,  longer 
than  anybody  else  in  all  the  world,  and  how 
they  could  jump  from  the  top  of  a  mountain  to 
another  one  just  as  easily  as  anything,  and 
nothing  could  catch  them.  "And  so  you  see," 
said  Polly,  winding  up  her  description,  "  when 
these  tall,  thin  people  heard  the  little  queer 
man  with  the  green  umbrella  coming  up,  they 
all  burst  out  laughing.  '  We'll  show  him  what 
running  is.  Get  on  your  boots,'  said  everyone 
to  each  other. 

"And  every  single  one  of  them  hurried  and 
pulled  on  his  seven-league  boots." 


THE    QUEER   LITTLE    MAN.  35  I 

"  Oh,  goody  ! "  howled  Joel,  slipping  away 
from  Ben's  hand. 

"Now,  the  queer  little  old  man  tried  to  stop 
when  he  got  up  to  them  ;  but  instead  of  that 
he  whisked  along  by  them,  and  there  he  was 
way  ahead,  and  going  at  a  perfectly  dreadful 
rate. 

"  '  Ho,  ho ! '  cried  the  seven-league  boot-men, 
'you  little  upstart,  you,  what  do  you  mean  by 
going  by  us  without  a  word ; '  for  you  see 
they  didn't  like  it  to  see  such  a  very  little 
person  treat  them  so  coolly,  and  there  he  was 
way  off  ahead  of  them.  '  We'll  teach  you  bet- 
ter manners  ; '  and  off  after  him  they  raced." 

"And  did  they  catch  him?"  cried  Van. 
"  And  what  did  they  do  to  him  ? "  asked  Percy. 
Little  Dick,  who  hadn't  spoken,  but  had  been 
lost  in  thought,  now  got  out  of  his  chair,  and 
stumbled  into  the  centre  of  the  group. 

"  Ha,  ha,  ha ! "  he  screamed  suddenly,  as 
loud  as  he  could. 

"Goodness  me,  Dicky,  how  you  scared  me  !  " 
exclaimed  Polly  with  a  jump. 

"  He  scared  us  all,  I  guess,"  said  Ben. 

"And  you  would  better  get  back  into  that 
chair  of  yours,"  said  Jasper,  "  if  you  don't  want 


3$2      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

the  house  to  come  down  on  our  heads  after 
that  noise." 

Little  Dick,  thus  adjured,  plunged  back  as  sud- 
denly as  he  had  come,  and  climbed  into  his  chair. 

"  But  step  as  long  and  as  high  as  they  could, 
the  seven-league  boot-men  couldn't  come  up  to 
the  queer  little  man  with  the  green  umbrella ; 
for  just  as  soon  as  he  flew  out  of  one  city  over 
the  church-spires,  and  the  big  houses,  they 
would  just  be  coming  in,  and  so  all  they 
could  see  of  him  would  be  the  green  umbrella, 
flying  along,  and  a  little  twinkling  thing,  with 
tiny  sticks  of  legs  and  arms,  under  it.  And  at 
last,  besides  being  very  angry,  they  were  very 
much  puzzled.  '  We've  never  had  anything 
beat  us  before,'  they  called  to  each  other  as 
they  stepped  along. 

"  And  all  the  while,  don't  you  think,  the 
queer  little  old  man  was  calling  and  screaming 
back  at  them,  '  Oh  !  you  dear  big  boot-men/ 
for  he  didn't  know  anything  about  seven-league 
boots,  '  do  stop  me,  for  I'm  running  away,  and 
I  can't  stop  myself.' 

"And  at  last  the  seven-league  boot-men 
stopped  in  surprise,  unable  to  take  another 
step,  they  were  so  much  astonished. 


THE    QUEER    LITTLE    MAN. 


353 


"'Let's  talk  it  over,'  they  said,  'and  then 
when  we've  come  to  a  conclusion  what  the 
matter  is,  why  we'll  start  again  after  him.' 

"  So  they  all  stopped 
on  the  tip  of  the  near- 
est mountain,  and  sat 
down  and  put  their 
chins  in  their  hands. 


< 

The  umbrella  runs  away  with  the  queer  little  man. 

'"It's  something  about  that  umbrella,'  at 
last  said  one  boot-man,  suddenly  lifting  his 
head. 

"  *  Sure  enough,'  cried  another,  slapping  him 


354      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

on  the  back ;  '  that's  the  brightest  thing  that 
has  been  said  yet.  Think  some  more.' 

" '  I  believe  it's  because  it's  green,'  said 
another,  who  wanted  to  be  just  as  bright  too. 

"  '  Sure  enough,'  said  the  boot-man  who  had 
said  so  before.  '  Now  we  must  get  him  to 
throw  away  that  dreadful  green  umbrella,  for 
we  can't  be  beaten  you  know.' 

"  '  We  must  get  him  to  throw  away  that  dread- 
ful green  umbrella,'  repeated  every  one  of  the 
boot-men.  Then  they  all  got  up,  and  "  — 

"  And  did  they  get  the  queer  little  man  to 
throw  away  the  green  umbrella  ? "  cried  little 
Davie  impulsively.  "  Oh  !  I  didn't  mean  to  in- 
terrupt, Polly,"  he  cried  as  soon  as  he  thought. 

"  I  know,  Davie,  you've  been  real  good,"  said 
Polly,  smiling  approvingly  at  him.  "  Well,  now 
you'll  see ;  so  off  they  all  stepped,  with  their 
dreadfully  long  steps,  after  the  queer  little  old 
man  with  the  green  umbrella,  and  pretty  soon 
one  of  the  boot-men,  who  was  a  little  ahead, 
called  out,  '  I  spy  him  ;  he  isn't  more  than 
seven  miles  off.'  " 

"  Oh,  my  !  "  screamed  JoeL 

"  And  sure  enough  ;  there  he  was  —  running 
along  —  the  green  umbrella  just  flying  through 


THE    QUEER    LITTLE    MAN.  355 

the  air,  and  the  little  sticks  of  arms  and  legs 
under  it  twinkling  in  and  out. 

"  '  Hurry  !  hurry  !  hurry  now  for  your  lives  ! ' 
roared  all  the  boot-men  at  each  other  ;  and  they 
raced  as  they  had  never  in  all  their  lives  raced 
before.  And  at  last  when  they  were  nearly 
ready  to  drop,  they  came  so  near  to  the  queer 
little  man  that  they  could  hear  him  faintly 
squeal  out,  '  Oh,  do  stop  me !  I'm  running 
away,  and  I  can't  stop.' 

"  '  Throw  down  that  dreadful  green  umbrella,' 
roared  all  the  boot-men  at  him  together. 

"'I  can't,'  squealed  the  queer  little  man, 
running  on  faster  than  ever.  '  It  won't  let  go 
of  my  neck ; '  for  you  must  know,  I  forgot  to 
tell  you,  that  the  crooked  handle  that  used  to 
hang  on  the  golden  peg  in  the  woodshed,  where 
Araminta  Sophia  hung  it  up,  had  hooked  itself, 
after  he  got  to  running  fast,  around  the  neck 
of  the  queer  little  old  man,  and  there  he  was 
fast  and  tight." 

"Oh,  dear  me!"  exclaimed  ever  so  many 
voices. 

"Did  it  hurt  him?"  asked  Phronsie  piteously. 

"  Oh,  no  !  I  guess  not,  Pet,"  answered  Polly  ; 
"  he  was  running  so  fast  I  don't  believe  he 


356      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

felt  it  much.  Anyway,  he  couldn't  get  it  off, 
try  as  hard  as  he  would.  And  so  on  he  ran, 
worse  than  ever." 

"  Can't  he  ever  stop  ? "  asked  little  Dick 
suddenly,  in  great  excitement. 

"You'll  see,  Dicky,"  said  Polly  with  a  smile, 
while  the  others  begged  her  not  to  stop  but 
to  hurry  on.  " '  Shut  up  that  dreadful  green 
umbrella,  then/  screamed  out  one  of  the  boot- 
men  with  the  first  thing  that  came  in  his  head ; 
and  in  a  minute,  before  they  could  take  another 
step,  flap  !  went  the  green  umbrella ;  snap ! 
went  the  green  umbrella;  and  stop!  the  poor 
little  legs  and  arms  of  the  queer  little  man 
came  to  a  standstill. 

"'How  very  queer!'  he  gasped.  'Why 
didn't  you  tell  me  that  before  ? '  he  snapped 
out  as  the  boot-men  all  came  up,  for  he  was 
very  cross  by  this  time.  '  Why  didn't  you 
think  of  it  yourself  instead  of  making  us  chase 
you  all  over  the  world  ? '  they  snapped  back ; 
for  you  see  they  were  very  cross  too." 

"  O  Polly !  had  they  been  all  over  the 
world  ?  "  cried  Percy  in  astonishment. 

"Pretty  much,"  said  Polly;  "and  you  see 
they  were  very  tired ;  and  besides  they  didn't 


THE    QUEER    LITTLE    MAN  357 

like  it,  for  they  never  had  been  obliged  to  take 
such  a  chase  before." 

"I  should  like  to  ask,"  said  Ben,  "what  this 
queer  little  man  happened  to  be  standing  on 
when  the  green  umbrella  got  shut  up  ?  You 
stopped  him  in  the  air,  you  know,  Polly." 

"  Oh  !  I  forgot  to  say,"  Polly  answered  briskly, 
with  a  little  laugh,  "that  they  happened  to  be 
just  running  over  a  very  high  mountain.  So 
when  the  green  umbrella  got  shut  up,  why,  of 
course,  all  he  had  to  do  was  to  stand  still  on 
the  top  of  it." 

"Oh!"  said  Ben. 


358      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 


XXI. 

THE    LITTLE    SNOW-HOUSE. 


me,  how  we  have  all  run  !  "  ex- 
claimed  Polly,  sitting  down  and  wiping 
her  hot  face. 

"And  I  beat,  I  beat!"  whooped  Joel  ex- 
citedly. "  I  got  to  the  big  gate  first  of  all." 

"That's  because  I  didn't  hear  Ben  say 
'three'  in  time  to  begin  with  you,"  said  Percy, 
his  face  growing  unpleasantly  red,  and  wish- 
ing he  hadn't  run  at  all. 

"Ho,  ho!"  screamed  Van,  "that's  a  good 
one;  just  hear  Percy.  Well,  I  stubbed  my  toe, 
so  I  didn't  beat." 

"  You've  won  the  prize,  Joe,"  said  Jasper, 
coming  up  and  drawing  a  long  breath.  "Well, 
that  was  a  race,  to  be  sure." 

"  You  said  you'd  let  the  one  who  beat  have 
a  wish,  and  you'd  do  it  if  it  was  a  possible 
thing,"  cried  Joel  with  a  crow  of  delight. 


THE    LITTLE    SNOW-HOUSE.  359 

"  Well,  I  choose  for  Polly  to  tell  us  a  story 
now  ;"  and  he  flung  himself  down  on  the  grassy 
terrace  by  her  side. 

"  O  Joel  Pepper !  "  exclaimed  Jasper  in  dis- 
may, "  we  none  of  us  thought  you'd  choose  that, 
because  we  knew  you  wanted  so  many  things." 

"Well,  I  do  choose  that,"  declared  Joel  ob- 
stinately, and  shaking  his  stubby  black  hair  ; 
"and  I  don't  want  anything  else.  So  begin, 
Polly,  do ; "  and  he  drummed  impatiently 
against  the  green  bank  with  his  heels. 

"  Ben,"  said  Jasper  in  despair,  rushing  up  to 
that  individual,  "  isn't  there  anything  we  can 
do  to  bring  Joe  to  his  senses  ?  Polly's  tired 
to  death.  Oh  !  why  did  we  promise  ? " 

"  No,"  said  Ben  with  a  long  face,  "  not  when 
Joe  makes  up  his  mind.  And  we  did  promise. 
But  I'll  tell  the  story."  And  he  drew  a  long 
breath,  and  his  face  dropped  longer  yet. 

"  Ben's  going  to  tell  the  story,"  announced 
Jasper,  rushing  back  cheerily.  "Now  all  sit 
down,"  as  Phronsie  pattered  back  along  the 
winding  road  through  the  shrubbery,  having 
run  a  race  with  herself  quite  contentedly. 
"  Here,  child  ; "  and  he  sat  down  on  the  grass, 
and  drew  her  into  his  lap. 


360      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

"  But  I  don't  want  Ben  to  tell  the  story," 
cried  Joel  coolly,  "  I  want  Polly  ;  and  you 
promised  you'd  give  me  my  wish  if  'twas  a 
possible  thing,"  he  asserted  in  a  loud  and  posi- 
tive tone. 

"  Well,  'tisn't  a  possible  thing  ;  Polly's  tired 
to  death,"  said  Jasper  shortly.  "  Here,  Ben, 
come  along,  and  dash  a  story  at  this  persistent 
chap." 

"Polly  isn't  tired,"  contradicted  Joel,  looking 
in  surprise  at  Polly's  blooming  cheeks.  "  She's 
never  tired  ;  and  you've  promised,"  he  repeated 
in  an  injured  tone. 

"  And  I'm  quite  rested  now,"  exclaimed 
Polly,  tossing  back  the  damp  rings  of  hair 
away  from  her  brow,  "so  I  can  tell  it  just  as 
well.  But  what  in  the  world  shall  it  be 
about  ? "  and  she  broke  into  a  merry  laugh. 

"  Don't  try  to  think,"  said  Ben,  who  threw 
himself  on  the  grass  by  her  side.  "Joe's  a 
mean  little  beggar  to  ask  it,  Polly,"  he  whis- 
pered in  her  ear. 

But  Polly  tossed  him  a  scrap  of  a  whisper 
back  again,  and  then  she  began.  "  Now,  it's 
so  hot  to-day,  and  the  middle  of  summer,  it 
doesn't  seem  as  if  it  .ever  had  been  winter 


THE    LITTLE    SNOW-HOUSE.  361 

with  the  snow  on  the  ground  ;  and  it  will  make 
us  cool,  with  nice  little  creeps  all  down  our 
backs,  if  I  tell  you  about  our  little  snow-house, 
and  "  — 

Joel  jumped  to  his  feet  with  howls  of  delight. 
"O  Polly!"  he  screamed,  "do  tell  about  it. 
That's  the  most  splendid  story  of  all !  "  Then 
he  suddenly  became  very  grave,  and  stood 
quite  still. 

"  Come  along  and  sit  down,  then,  Joel,"  said 
Polly,  "  and  I'll  begin."  But  Joel  didn't  move. 

"  Come  along,"  cried  Ben,  quite  out  of  sorts, 
"  and  get  into  your  seat,  and  don't  stand  there 
like  a  stick."  But  still  Joel  stood  very  still.  "  I 
don't  want  any  story,"  he  blurted  out  suddenly. 

"  Don't  want  any  story,"  repeated  Percy  and 
Van  in  surprise ;  while  little  Dick  began  to 
cry  piteously,  and  laid  his  head  in  Polly's  lap. 

"Polly  doesn't  want  to  tell  it,"  began  Joel 
in  a  gasp,  and  wishing  very  much  that  he  had 
stayed  at  the  big  gate  where  he  won  the  race. 

"Oh,  yes  I  do!"  cried  Polly  brightly.  "I 
want  to  tell  it,  Joey,  I  do  truly ;  so  sit  down 
like  a  good  boy,  and  I'll  begin  right  off." 

"  Do  you  really  ? "  asked  Joel,  edging  up, 
with  both  black  eyes  fixed  on  her  face. 


362      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

"Yes,  indeed;  I'm  all  rested  now,"  declared 
Polly ;  "  and  if  I  don't  tell  that  story  I  shall 
feel  very  badly  indeed,  Joey  Pepper." 

So  Joel,  feeling  that  it  was  quite  right  to 
be  glad  that  the  story  was  to  be  told,  since 
Polly  had  said  that  she  should  feel  badly  if  she 
didn't  tell  it,  gave  another  whoop  of  delight, 
and  scuttled  back  to  crowd  in  next  to  Polly, 
while  the  others  settled  down  in  great  satisfac- 
tion, and  Polly  began  in  her  cheeriest  fashion. 

"  Well,  you  must  know,  boys,  that  we  used 
to  have  just  the  best  times  in  The  Little  Brown 
House  the  minute  it  began  to  be  winter,  and 
the  snow  commenced  to  fall,  and  we  could  look 
out  and  see  it  all,  and  plan  what  we  could  do." 

"And  you. could  get  your  sleds  out,"  burst 
in  Van  —  "  And  go  sleighing  too,"  said  Percy. 

"  Oh,  we  didn't  have  sleds ! "  said  Polly 
quickly;  "at  least,  only  one  that  Ben  made 
us." 

"  Didn't  have  sleds  ! "  exclaimed  the  Whit- 
ney boys. 

"  I  helped,"  said  Joel  sturdily ;  "  and  so  did 
Dave." 

"  Well,  I  guess  it  wouldn't  have  been  much 
of  a  sled  unless  Ben  had  made  it,"  said  Polly, 


THE    LITTLE    SNOW-HOUSE.  363 

looking  up  at  Ben  affectionately.  "  But  you 
two  boys  did  help,  though,"  she  made  haste 
to  add,  as  she  saw  their  faces. 

"  And  we  couldn't  go  coasting  only  when 
we  had  all  our  work  done,'*  Polly  went  on, 
"  because,  you  see,  we  were  poor,  and  that  was 
play." 

There  was  silence  for  the  space  of  a  moment, 
it  being  quite  beyond  the  power  of  the  Whitney 
boys  to  say  anything.  "  But  when  Mamsie 
did  let  us  go,  oh,  it  was  perfectly  splendid ! " 
and  Polly's  cheeks  grew  rosy  red,  and  her  eyes 
kindled  in  delight  at  the  remembrance. 

"  Tell  us,  tell  us,"  begged  Percy  and  Van, 
coming  out  of  their  deep  reflection. 

"  Well,  maybe,  some  time,"  said  Polly  ;  "  but 
now  I'm  going  to  tell  you  about  our  little 
snow-house.  You  see,  it  had  been  awfully  cold 
one  winter,"  here  Polly  hurried  on  with  all 
her  speed,  after  a  glance  at  Ben's  face,  "and 
we  hadn't  had  much  snow,  because  it  was  'most 
too  cold  to  snow,  and  we  children  had  been 
hoping  that  we  might  have  some ;  and  every 
day  Joel  would  come  shouting  in  that  he 
guessed  it  would  snow  before  night,  and  "  — 

"  And  we  had  to  fill  the  wood-box  and  chop 


364  STORIES    POLLY    PEPPER   TOLD. 

kindlings  all  the  time,  I  remember,"  grumbled 
Joel ;  "  and  our  fingers  most  froze,  didn't  they, 
Dave." 

"  Maybe,"  said  David,  with  a  glance  at  Polly's 
face,  and  very  much  wishing  that  the  question 
had  not  been  asked. 

"Never  mind,"  said  Ben  ;  "don't  bother  to 
tell  any  more  about  the  cold,  Polly,  but  get 
along  to  the  story." 

"And  so  I  will,"  she  said  briskly,  with  an- 
other look  at  his  face.  "  Well,  and  one  day  — 
oh !  I  remember  it  as  well  as  could  be,  for 
Joel  had  said  the  same  thing  about  the  snow 
coming,  over  and  over,  and  "  — 

"  And  it  did  come,"  interrupted  Joel  tri- 
umphantly, "  so,  there  "  — 

"  You  mustn't  tell  before  I  get  to  it,"  said 
Polly. 

"That's  a  fact,"  said  Ben.  "If  Polly  tells 
this  story,  she  must  be  let  alone.  Now,  Joe, 
don't  you  say  another  word." 

Joel,  at  this,  subsided,  and  folded  his  chubby 
hands  tightly  together,  and  Polly  went  on. 
"  Well,  and  pretty  soon,  do  you  know,  down 
came  the  white  flakes  of  snow,  so  soft  and 
pretty  and  white ;  and  Mamsie  said  we  might 


THE    LITTLE    SNOW-HOUSE.  365 

stop  our  work  for  five  minutes,  and  watch  it 
from  the  window.  We'd  wanted  it  so,  you 
know,  for  days  and  days. 

"  And  then  David  and  Joel  began  to  scream 
how  they  were  going  to  take  the  sled  Ben  had 
made,  out  that  afternoon,  as  soon  as  the  ground 
was  covered,  and  have  a  fine  time  coasting ;  and 
then  Mamsie  told  us  to  look  around  at  the 
clock ;  and  we  did,  and  then  our  time  was  up, 
and  we  had  to  fly  at  our  work  again." 

"Oh,  dear  me!"  exclaimed  the  Whitney 
boys  with  one  voice. 

"Well,  in  the  middle  of  the  afternoon  the 
snow  was  pretty  deep ;  it  had  been  falling 
just  as  thick  and  fast  as  could  be,  and  Joel 
came  stamping  in  from  the  woodshed,  where  he 
had  been  cutting  kindlings,  and  he  pulled  on 
his  mittens,  and  said,  '  Now,  Mamsie,  may  we  ? ' 
and  '  Come  on,  David  '  all  at  the  same  time." 

"Just  as  he  says  two  thing  together  now," 
said  Ben,  bursting  into  a  laugh,  in  which  all 
joined  at  Joel's  expense,  until  he  laughed  too. 

"But  Mamsie  shook  her  head.  'Not  until 
I've  gone  into  the  Provision  Room  and  seen  how 
many  potatoes,  and  how  much  Indian  meal  we 
have  left,  Joey,'  she  said.  And  then  off  she 


366      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

went,  and  Joel  pounded  his  heels  on  the  kitchen 
floor,  and  slapped  his  hands  in  the  mittens 
together,  and  kept  calling  on  David  to  hurry 
and  be  ready  when  Mamsie  came  back.  Oh  !  I 
remember  just  as  well  as  can  be,  — just  every- 
thing about  that  afternoon  ; "  and  Polly  came 
to  a  sudden  stop,  lost  in  thought. 

"Polly  Pepper!  Polly  Pepper!"  cried  Van, 
shaking  her  elbow,  "do  tell  us  the  story." 

"  And  did  she  let  Joel  and  David  go  coast- 
ing ? "  begged  Percy,  trying  to  conceal  the 
eagerness  he  felt  in  the  recital. 

"You'll  see,"  said  Polly,  waking  out  of  her 
revery.  "Well,  at  last  Mamsie  came  back 
from  the  Provision  Room,  and  the  very  first 
look  that  we  had  of  her  face  we  knew  that 
Joel  and  David  couldn't  go." 

"  Oh,  dear  me  !  "  exclaimed  the  Whitney  chil- 
dren, horribly  disappointed. 

"'Boys,'  said  Mamsie,  'there  isn't  very 
much  Indian  meal  ahead,  and  the  stock  of  po- 
tatoes is  getting  low  ;  now  I  could  let  you  off 
this  afternoon,  but  it's  wiser  not  to  live  from 
hand  to  mouth,  so  we  must  lay  in  another 
supply  now.'  And  that's  all  she  said,  but  she 
just  looked." 


THE    LITTLE    SNOW-HOUSE.  367 

"  And  I  didn't  want  to  go  to  the  store  after 
that  old  meal  and  those  old  potatoes,"  blurted 
out  Joel  suddenly,  not  looking  at  any  one. 

"But  you  did  go,  Joel,"  cried  Polly  immedi- 
ately. "  Oh,  yes  he  did,  boys  ! "  she  repeated 
emphatically ;  "  he  went  real  good,  and  Mamsie 
was  pleased." 

Joel  brightened  up  at  that,  and  brought 
down  his  gaze  from  the  tip  of  one  of  the  tallest 
trees  on  the  opposite  terrace,  as  he  drew  a 
sigh  of  relief. 

"'Yes,'  said  Mamsie,  and  I  remember  just 
exactly  how  she  looked  as  she  said  it ;  'it  is 
always  the  right  thing  to  get  what  will  be 
needed,  before  it  is  needed.'  And  then  the  boys 
ran  off,  and  dragged  the  sled  out  of  the  wood- 
shed, and  away  they  ran  off  down  the  road 
pulling  it  after  them." 

"And  couldn't  they  go  coasting  as  soon  as 
they  got  the  potatoes  ? "  demanded  Percy. 

"  And  the  meal  ? "    begged   Van  anxiously. 

"Why,  you  see,  Mr.  Atkins,  the  man  who 
kept  the  store,  you  know,  had  a  great  deal  to  do 
that  afternoon  ;  and  it  took  so  long  to  wait  on  all 
his  customers  that  it  was  dark  before  the  boys 
got  home,  and  they  had  to  fill  the  wood-box  for 


ST:R:ES  ?:LLV  ?E??ER  r;ir. 
r.ex-    m:~:"^.    ard    so  Mamsie  said  they 

Or.  : "  exclaimed  the  two  \\~nitneys. 

Well,  vre  all  w±r.:  :o  bed  early  that  night. 


@^P^ 


t  to  get  up  as  soon  as  it 

arid  coast,  they  said     It 

lly  when  Mamsie  looked 

i:  was  dreadfully  deep, 


THE   LITTLE  SNOW-HOUSE,  369 

and  Ben  said  he'd  be  sore  to  find  time  to  give 
Phronsie  a  ride  on  the  sled.  And  the  first 
thing  we  knew  it  was  morning,  only  we  didn't 
know  it  was  morning,"  said  Polly,  with  a  funny 
little  laugh. 

"What  do  you  mean,  — that  yon  didn't  know 
it  was  morning  ?  "  asked  Van. 

"  Oh !  I  mean  —  never  mind,  you'll  see  when 
I  get  to  it,"  said  Polly,  who  never  liked  to  be 
pushed  ahead  of  her  story.  "Well,  the  first 
thing  I  knew  Mamsie  was  calling  me,  'Polly,' 
in  such  a  funny  voice,  that  I  hopped  right  up 
into  the  middle  of  the  big  bed. 

" '  Get  on  your  clothes  as  quickly  as  possible 
and  come  out  here,*  said  Mamsie.  And  I 
flew  out  of  bed.  Oh!  how  I  wanted  to  just 
peep  into  the  kitchen  and  see  what  was  the 
matter,  but  I  knew  Mamsie  wouldn't  like  it;  so 
I  got  dressed  as  fast  as  ever  I  could,  and  ran 
out.  There  was  Mamsie  in  the  middle  of  the 
floor.  'Polly,  child,'  she  said,  'we're  snowed 
in!'" 

There  was  a  breathless  silence  for  a  minute, 
that  nobody  seemed  able  to  break.  •*  Yes," 
said  Polly ;  *•  and  don't  you  think,  there  we  were 
buried  up  in  our  Little  Brown  House." 


37O      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

"  O  Polly!"  cried  Van  in  a  horrified  tone; 
"didn't  you  ever  get  out  ? " 

"Why,  yes,"  said  Polly;  "of  course,  or  else 
we  wouldn't  be  here.  Don't  feel  so,  Van,"  as 
she  saw  his  face ;  "  it  didn't  hurt  us  any,  you 
know,  because  we  all  got  out  in  good  time. 
And  we  had  some  fun  while  being  shut  up  in 
our  little  snow-house." 

"  Is  that  what  you  mean  by  the  little  snow- 
house  the  story  is  about  ?  "  asked  Percy,  who 
was  so  bound  up  in  the  story  he  had  lost  sight 
of  the  opportunity  to  laugh  at  Van. 

"  Yes,"  said  Polly  gayly,  "  it  was,  and  our 
Little  Brown  House  was  made  into  a  little  snow- 
house  ;  and  now  I'm  going  to  tell  you  about  it. 
Well,  when  Mamsie  said  that,  I  just  put  my 
arms  around  her,  and  she  held  me  close  for  a 
minute,  for,  you  see,  we  didn't  know  what  to  do. 
And  then  I  said  'I'm  going  to  call  Ben.'  " 

"But  Polly  didn't  call  us  then,"  said  Joel 
in  an  injured  tone  ;  "  and  Dave  and  I  slept  over 
till  ever  so  late." 

"And  so  did  Phronsie,"  said  Ben.  "And  I 
wish  we  could  have  kept  you  all  in  bed  the 
rest  of  that  day." 

"But  you  couldn't,"  said  Joel,  bobbing  his 


THE    LITTLE    SNOW-HOUSE.  371 

head  ;  "  and  just  as  soon  as  we  did  wake  up,  we 
found  out  all  about  it." 

"  Well  keep  still  now,  Joe,"  said  Ben,  "  and 
let  Polly  finish  the  story." 

"  It  was  just  as  dark,"  Polly  was  saying,  "  oh  ! 
you  can't  think  how  dreadfully  dark  it  was,  till 
Mamsie  lighted  her  candle  ;  for  when  we  tried 
to  look  out  of  the  window,  why  we  couldn't, 
because,  you  see,  there  was  the  white  snow  piled 
up  against  it  tight ;  and  we  couldn't  open  the 
door." 

"  Why  not  ?  "  asked  little  Dick. 

"  Because  we'd  go  right  into  a  big  snow- 
bank if  we  did,  oh !  ever  and  ever  so  much 
higher  than  our  heads;  and,  besides,  the  snow 
would  tumble  in  the  house,  and  then  we  couldn't 
shut  the  door  again ;  so  Mamsie  told  us  not  to 
touch  it.  Oh,  dear,  dear,  it  was  perfectly  dread- 
ful ! " 

A  shiver  passed  over  the  group  that  made 
the  "  nice  little  creeps "  run  down  each  back, 
as  Polly  began  again,  "Well,  and  there  we 
were,  shut  up  in  our  Little  Brown  House,  and 
we  didn't  know  when  any  one  would  come  to 
dig  us  out." 

"  Why   didn't   you   run   up-stairs,    and   look 


3/2      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

out  ? "  cried  Van,  thrusting  himself  forward 
excitedly. 

"  Dear  me,  we  did  that  the  first  thing,"  said 
Polly  ;  "  I  mean,  Ben  did.  He  tried  to  look  out 
of  the  window  in  the  loft,  because,  you  know, 
we  didn't  have  any  up-stairs,  but  a  little  place 
in  the  loft  where  the  boys  slept ;  and  all  he 
could  see  was  the  top  of  the  snow  where  it  had 
blown  all  up  everywhere,  and  then  he  ran  down 
and  told  Mamsie  and  me  in  the  kitchen.  Oh  ! 
you  can't  think  how  perfectly  dreadful  it  was 
those  first  few  minutes ;  we  were  so  glad  the 
children  were  fast  asleep  in  their  beds." 

"Well,  we  weren't,"  grumbled  Joel,  who  al- 
ways felt  defrauded  out  of  every  one  of  those 
dreadful  minutes.  "  Dave  and  I  wanted  to  be 
down  in  the  kitchen  with  Mamsie  and  you." 

"  Why,  you  didn't  know  anything  of  it,"  said 
Ben  with  a  little  laugh. 

"  Well,  we  wanted  to  be  there  if  we  didn't," 
said  Joel,  not  minding  the  laugh  in  which  the 
others  joined. 

"And  Mamsie  said  we  were  not  to  worry,  for 
God  would  take  care  of  us,"  said  Polly  gravely. 
"  And  then  she  asked  Him  to  do  it,  and  to  send 
some  one  to  dig  us  out ;  and  then  she  said, —  and 


THE    LITTLE    SNOW-HOUSE. 


373 


I'll  never  forget  it,  — '  Now,  children,  we  must 
set  ourselves  to  think  what  we  ought  to  do,  and 
go  to  work,  because  God  doesn't  help  people 
who  do  not  help  themselves.'  And  then  we 
all  sat  down  to  think  up  the  best  thing  to  do. 
And  Ben  said  he  thought  we  ought  to  tie  some- 


I  I 


thing  to  a  long  stick,  and  run  it  out  the  win- 
dow, and  maybe  "  — 

"  No,  that  was  Polly's  idea,"  said  Ben  quickly ; 
"she  thought  of  it  first." 

"  O  Ben !  you  surely  said  so,"  cried  Polly, 
with  rosy  cheeks. 

"  Well,  you  spoke  of  it  first,  and  so  I  said  I'd 


374      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

do  it,"  declared  Ben  positively.  "  It  was  Polly 
who  thought  it  all  out." 

"  Well,  you  got  the  red  blanket,  and  tied  it  on 
the  broom,"  said  Polly ;  "  so  you  did  it,  anyway." 

"  That's  nothing,"  said  Ben  ;  "  we  all  thought 
of  the  blanket  because  it  was  red,  and  would 
show  against  the  snow.  And  after  that  there 
was  nothing  we  could  do  ;  so  we  all  three  sat 
down  in  the  kitchen,  and  looked  at  each  other." 

"  Yes,"  said  Polly,  shaking  her  head  very 
mournfully,  "  that  was  the  hardest  part  of  it 
all ;  there  wasn't  anything  to  do.  Oh,  dear  me  ! 
it  was  perfectly  dreadful ;  you  can't  think  how 
dreadful  it  all  was." 

"  And  pretty  soon  Mamsie  said,  '  Now,  chil- 
dren, we'll  get  breakfast  the  same  as  usual. 
Thank  God  that  we  have  got  a  large  supply  of 
meal  and  potatoes  in  the  Provision  Room,  so  we 
sha'n't  starve.  Look  at  the  clock,  Polly,  child.' 

"  And  there,  don't  you  think,"  said  Polly, 
"  the  old  clock  in  the  corner  was  ticking  away 
the  minutes  as  fast  as  it  could  ;  and  it  was  half- 
past  eight,  and  we  always  used  to  get  up  at  six 
o'clock — in  winter,  I  mean." 

"Six  o'clock  in  winter!"  cried  Percy  in 
amazement,  who  dearly  loved  his  bed  of  a 


THE    LITTLE    SNOW-HOUSE.  375 

morning.  "  Oh,  dear  me !  that's  the  middle 
of  the  night." 

"Well,  if  you  think  that's  early,  what  do 
you  think  of  five  o'clock,"  said  Ben  under  his 
breath. 

"And  just  think  of  Ben,"  Polly  was  saying, 
with  a  little  pat  on  Ben's  back  ;  "  he  used  to 
have  all  his  chores  done  by  six  o'clock,  because 
he  had  to  go  and  help  other  people,  and  earn 
money." 

Percy  tumbled  right  over  on  the  green  bank, 
quite  overcome  by  this,  and  lay  there  lost  in 
thought. 

"Yes,  it  was  half-past  eight,"  said  Polly  im- 
pressively. "And  when  I  looked  at  the  clock, 
I  jumped  up,  glad  of  something  to  do ;  for  I'd 
been  twisting  my  hands  together,  trying  not 
to  cry,"  she  confessed,  drooping  her  brown 
head  in  a  shamedfaced  way. 

"  But  you  didn't  cry,"  declared  Ben  stoutly. 
"  Polly  didn't  let  a  single  tear  come  out  of 
her  eyes ;  she  was  just  splendid  all  the  time." 

"No,  I  wasn't  splendid,"  said  Polly;  but  the 
color  ran  over  her  cheek  again,  and  up  to  the 
little  waves  of  hair  on  her  brow,  as  she  smiled 
at  Ben.  "  And  when  Mamsie  told  us  to  get 


376      STQRIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

breakfast,  why,  Ben  and  I  were  glad  enough  to 
hop  up  and  set  to  work.  So  he  ran  and  kin- 
dled the  fire ;  and  pretty  soon  there  it  was 
blazing  away,  right  merrily,  because,  you  see, 
we  had  our  new  stove  then.  What  we  should 
have  done  with  our  old  one,  I'm  sure  I  don't 
know,"  said  Polly,  holding  up  both  hands. 

"  And  I  said,  it  was  lucky  we  had  such  a 
splendid  lot  of  wood  all  cut  in  the  wood-shed," 
said  Ben,  "when  I  came  back  to  fill  up  the  wood- 
box  again,  after  I  had  made  the  fire.  And 
Mamsie  said  'Never  say  "lucky"  again,  Ben, 
but  say  "  faithful  work  provides  for  the  future."  ' 
I've  thought  of  it  ever  since." 

"'And  that's  the  reason  you've  got  plenty 
of  wood  now,'  said  Mamsie."  Polly  took  up 
the  story  quickly.  "  And  she  said  that  Ben  had 
been  plucky,  instead  of  lucky,  to  stick  to  it 
when  he  wanted  to  rest.  Well,  then  we  heard 
an  awful  noise  up  in  the  loft." 

"What  was  it?"  cried  Van,  getting  invol- 
untarily nearer  to  Polly  and  Ben.  "  Was  it 
bears  ? " 

"Worse  than  bears,"  said  Ben  decidedly. 

"  Worse  than  bears  ? "  Van  was  quite  de- 
lighted ;  but  he  drew  still  farther  within  the 


THE    LITTLE    SNOW-HOUSE.  37/ 

centre  of  the  group,  and  cast  a  glance  over 
his  shoulder  as  if  he  expected  something  to 
jump  from  behind  the  trees. 

"  Yes,"  said  Ben,  nodding  his  head. 

"Was  it  a  snake?"  asked  little  Dick,  hud- 
dling up  close  to  Polly  to  lay  his  head  in  her 
lap  again. 

"  Worse  than  a  snake,"  said  Ben. 

"  Oh,  dear,  dear  !  what  was  it  ? "  cried  Van 
and  Dick  together,  while  Percy  got  up  quickly, 
and  pushed  in  between  the  others.  "What 
was  it  ? "  he  asked  too. 

"Those  two  boys,"  said  Ben,  pointing  to 
Joel  and  Davie ;  "  they  made  more  noise  than 
a  dozen  bears,  as  soon  as  they  woke  up  and 
found  out  how  things  were.  I  tell  you,  it  was 
pretty  lively  then  down  in  the  kitchen." 

"  And  we  hadn't  seen  Ben  run  out  the  stick 
with  the  red  blanket  on,"  said  Joel  in  a  dud- 
geon, flinging  himself  flat  on  the  grass,  to 
drum  his  heels  on  the  green  sward.  "  It  was 
mean  not  to  wake  us  up." 

"Well,  you  saw  it  afterward,"  said  Ben 
coolly.  "And  if  you'd  had  your  way,  Joe,  the 
old  broom  would  have  rattled  down  a  dozen 
times,  you  wanted  to  shake  it  so  hard." 


378  STORIES    POLLY   PEPPER   TOLD. 

"That  was  to  make  folks  see  it,  and  come 
and  dig  us  out,"  said  Joel,  squinting  up  at 
the  sky. 

"  Well,  let  Polly  tell  the  story,"  said  Jasper, 
who  had  been  quiet  all  this  time.  "And  then 
just  think  what  Mamsie  said  to  those  two 
boys."  Here  Polly  jumped  up  to  her  feet. 
"  Oh,  it  was  so  splendid  ! "  and  her  eyes  kin- 
dled, and  the  color  came  and  went  in  her 
cheeks  ;  she  said,  and  these  are  just  her  words, 
'  Boys,  you've  maybe  saved  all  our  lives,  by 
giving  up  your  play  yesterday,  and  getting  that 
meal  and  those  potatoes.'  Just  think  of  that," 
cried  Polly  again,  clasping  her  hands ;  "  Mam- 
sie said  that  to  our  two  boys.  Oh,  I'm  so  proud 
of  them  ! "  With  that  Polly  ran  back  to  the 
green  bank,  and  in  a  minute  she  had  her  two 
arms  around  Joel  and  David.  And  Jasper  pro- 
posed three  cheers ;  and  Van  led  them  off, 
Percy  coming  in  in  time  for  the  end,  as  Phron- 
sie  gave  a  delighted  little  gurgle. 

"  'Twasn't  anything,"  said  Joel,  red  and  shin- 
ing in  his  efforts  to  escape  all  praise.  "Dave 
and  I  didn't  do  anything." 

"  'Twas  meal  and  potatoes,"  cried  little  Dick, 
stumbling  up  and  down  the  path,  and  getting 


THE    LITTLE    SNOW-HOUSE.  3/9 

in  everybody's  way.  And  then  they  all  laughed, 
and  settled  down  for  the  end  of  the  story. 

"Well,"  said  Polly  with  a  long  breath,  and 
beginning  again,  "you  can't  think  how  glad 
we  were  to  have  work  to  do  on  that  dreadful 
day.  We  washed  every  dish  in  the  house,  over 
and  over,  and  cleaned  and  tidied  up ;  and  then, 
when  we  hadn't  any  more  work,  we  sat  round 
and  told  stories." 

"  Oh  !  will  you  tell  us  some  of  those  stories 
you  told  in  the  little  snow-house,  Polly  Pep- 
per? "  cried  Van  in  a  shout. 

"  Some  time,"  said  Polly. 

"Go  on,  Polly,"  said  Ben,  "and  tell  about 
sitting  around  the  stove." 

"Oh,  yes!"  said  Polly  briskly;  "you  see, 
children,  we  couldn't  burn  our  candles  all  day 
because  Mamsie  hadn't  such  a  very  great 
many.  And  so  after  Phronsie  woke  up,  and 
our  work  was  done  up,  we  sat  around  the  stove, 
and  told  stories  in  the  dark." 

"Oh!  oh!"  exclaimed  the  Whitney  boys. 

"  Yes  ;  and  then,"  said  Ben,  "  Polly  asked 
Mamsie  if  we  might  play  Blindman's-Buff ;  she 
said  yes  —  and  so  we  did." 

"  Yes  ;    and    we    played    Puss-in-the-Corner, 


380  OKIES    POLLY    PEPPER    TOLD. 

and  all  sorts  of  things  we  never  had  the  time 
to  play  on  other  days ;  we  played  in  our  little 
snow-house.  Oh,  we  had  a  lovely  time,  after 
all  !  " 

"  And  didn't  anybody  come  to  dig  you  out  ?  " 
asked  Percy,  feeling  as  if  the  delights  of  such 
a  frolic  wouldn't  pay  him  for  being  shut  up 
in  a  little  snow-house ;  and  he  shivered  as  he 
spoke. 

"  No,"  said  Polly ;  "  at  least  not  till  the  next 
day.  And  then  all  of  a  sudden  some  one 
screamed,  '  Hallo,  there  ! '  and  don't  you  think 
we  heard  Deacon  Brown's  voice  through  the 
snow ;  they'd  dug  quite  a  piece  towards  us,  and 
they  were  shouting  to  let  us  know  they  were 
coming." 

"And  didn't  you  scream  back,  Polly  Pepper, 
didn't  you  ?  didn't  you  ? "  cried  all  the  Whit- 
neys  together  in  intense  excitement. 

"  I  rather  guess  we  did,"  said  Ben,  with 
shining  eyes  ;  "  it's  a  wonder  the  roof  of  The 
Little  Brown  House  didn't  fly  off  with  the 
noise  we  Peppers  made." 


LUCY   ANN'S    GARDEN.  381 


XXII. 

LUCY   ANN'S    GARDEN. 

"  TT  was  about  the  middle  of  the  afternoon," 
J-  said  Polly,  as  the  little  group  settled  down 
in  one  corner  of  Mother  Pepper's  room,  "  when 
I  told  the  others  the  story  of  Lucy  Ann's  Gar- 
den. I  remember  the  time,  because  we  were  all 
feeling  pretty  badly  to  be  shut  up  in  the  little 
snow-house ;  for  we  always  ran  out-doors  every 
now  and  then,  you  know,  even  when  we  were 
working,  and  it  seemed  just  like  a  prison,  and 
then  we  didn't  know  when  we  would  be  dug 
out,  and  "  — 

"  But  you  were  dug  out  some  time,  weren't 
you,  Polly  Pepper?"  interrupted  Van  anxiously. 

A  shout 'greeted  this  question. 

When  they  came  out  of  the  laugh,  Polly  said, 
"  Yes,  but  it  was  two  whole  days ;  and  every 
single  hour  seemed  —  oh,  as  long  —  you  can't 
think !  You  see,  everybody  else  was  snowed  in 


382      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

too ;  and  great  high  drifts  were  piled  along  the 
roads,  so  they  couldn't  get  to  us,  and  so  all  we 
could  do  was  to  wait.  But,  oh,  dear  me  !  "  Polly 
had  no  further  words  at  her  command,  and  her 
hands  fell  idly  to  her  lap. 

"Well,  go  on."  This  time  it  was  Percy  who 
pulled  her  sleeve. 

"  So,  I  know  all  about  the  time  when  I  began 
to  tell  about  Lucy  Ann's  Garden,"  said  Polly, 
beginning  again.  "I  thought  I'd  make  up  a 
story  about  summer  and  flowers,  and  all  the 
things  we  Have  when  it  is  warm  and  sunny, 
so  we  could  look  forward  to  it  all ;  and  that's 
the  reason  I  told  them  that." 

"Tell  us  now,"  said  Jasper  ;  "  do,  Polly." 

So  Polly  began  the  story  in  earnest.  "  Lucy 
Ann's  Garden  wasn't  a  bit  like  any  other  gar- 
den in  all  the  world  ;  it  was  up  on  the  tops  of 
ever  so  many  trees  "  • 

"  Oh,  oh  ! "  exclaimed  the  bunch  of  Whit- 
neys  in  delight,  Jasper  adding  his  approval  to 
the  rest. 

"This  is  a  splendid  story,"  declared  Joel  to 
Van,  who  was  next,  "you  better  believe." 

"Hush!"  said  Van,  edging  away;  "I  can't 
hear  Polly  when  you  talk." 


LUCY   ANN'S    GARDEN.  383 

"You  see,  Lucy  Ann's  father  had  ever  so 
many  apple-trees  he  was  going  to  cut  down, 
because  they  didn't  have  anything  on  them  but 
shrivelled  up  miserable  little  apples;  and  he  got 
his  big  axe,  and  went  out  one  day,  and  Lucy 
Ann  saw  him,  and  she  ran  after  him.  '  Father, 
father,'  she  cried,  'what  are  you  going  to  do?' 
And  then  he  told  her. 

"  '  Oh,  dear  me  ! '  said  Lucy  Ann  ;  and  then 
she  just  sat  down  on  the  grass  and  cried;  for 
she  couldn't  bear  to  have  a  tree  cut  down 
around  her  home,  nor  a  chicken  killed,  nor 
anything  changed." 

"  How  could  they  ever  have  chicken-pies, 
then?"  asked  Percy  abruptly. 

"Why,  they  had  to  send  Lucy  Ann  over  to 
spend  the  day  with  her  grandmother,"  said 
Polly  ;  "  and  then  they  killed  all  the  chickens 
they  wanted  to  eat  for  a  week.  But  Lucy  Ann 
always  cried  quarts  of  tears  when  she  came 
home,  and  found  out  about  it." 

"  O  Polly  !  "  exclaimed  Van,  "  Lucy  Ann 
couldn't  cry  quarts  of  tears  —  no  one  could." 

"  Lucy  Ann  isn't  like  anybody  else  in  the 
world,"  said  Polly  stoutly ;  "and  I'm  making  up 
a  girl  who  could  cry  quarts  of  tears,  so  she 


384      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

cried  them  every  time  she  came  home  and 
found  one  of  those  chickens  killed." 

"  Now,  it's  hard  enough  to  have  to  tell  sto 
ries  by  the  dozen  as  Polly  Pepper  does,  and  be 
called  to  account  for  every  word,"  said  Jasper. 
"  Polly  has  a  right  to  say  anything  in  her  sto- 
ries she  has  a  mind  to." 

"And  do  make  it  quarts,"  begged  Joel,  glow- 
ering at  Van.  "  Make  it  gallons,  Polly." 

"  No,"  said  Polly  decidedly.  "  Lucy  Ann 
cried  quarts  of  tears.  Well,  so  when  she  sat 
down  on  the  grass  and  cried,  her  father  fell 
into  a  tremble,  and  he  shook  so  the  big  axe 
in  his  hand  went  every  way,  for.  he  couldn't 
hold  it  straight ;  and  he  looked  at  Lucy  Ann, 
and  he  said,  'Daughter,  I  wish  you  would 
stop  crying.' 

"'  I  can't/  said  Lucy  Ann,  crying  worse  than 
ever,  till  her  tears  ran  into  tie  grass  and  off, 
a  little  stream  trickling  away  like  a  tiny,  wee 
river. 

"  '  Oh,  dear  me  ! '  exclaimed  her  father  in  de- 
spair, 'this  is  something  very  dreadful.'  Then 
he  set  his  axe  carefully  up  against  the  first  tree 
he  was  going  to  cut  off,  and  he  went  to  Lucy 
Ann.  '  Daughter,'  he  said,  '  if  you'll  stop  crying 


LUCY    ANN'S    GARDEN.  385 

this  very  minute  by  my  watch,  I'll  give  you  this 
first  tree  I  was  going  to  cut  down.'  So  Lucy 
Ann  took  her  face  up,  —  for  she  was  bending 
over  to  sob, — and  she  wiped  the  tears  that 
were  coming  out  of  her  eyes  away  with  her 
hand ;  and  her  father  ran  cheerfully  back,  and 
picked  up  his  axe  again.  '  Now,  that  is  good, 
my  daughter,'  he  said  in  a  gleeful  voice ;  and 
he  hurried  to  the  next  tree,  and  raised  the 
axe  just  like  this."  Here  Polly  swung  an  im- 
aginary axe  over  her  shoulder,  "  '  Now,  then  '  — 
but  he  didn't  bring  it  down,  for  Lucy  Ann 
squealed  right  out,  '  O  father,  don't  !  Now 
I've  got  to  cry  some  more  ; '  and  away  she  went 
to  sobbing,  just  as  much  worse  than  at  first 
as  you  could  think  ;  and  the  tears  got  bigger 
and  rounder,  and  they  raced  through  the  grass 
so  fast  that  they  wet  her  feet  till  she  began 
to  sneeze  like  everything." 

"Oh,  dear  me!"  exclaimed  little  Dick  in 
dismay. 

"  Well,  Lucy  Ann's  father,  when  he  saw  that, 
set  down  the  axe  again,  and  he  pulled  his  hair 
in  distress.  I  forgot  to  tell  you  that  he  always 
pulled  his  hair  when  he  felt  troubled  about 
anything  "  — 


386      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

"  That  was  much  better  than  to  pull  any  one 
else's  hair,"  observed  Ben  under  his  breath  to 
Jasper. 

"And  he  said,  'O  my  daughter  Lucy  Ann, 
if  you  only  won't  cry  any  more,  I'll  give  you 
all  those  trees  this  very  minute  ;  and  you  may 
do  what  you  want  to  with  them."  So  Lucy 
Ann  stopped  sobbing,  and  wiped  her  eyes 
again,  and  got  up  from  the  grass,  and  went 
around  and  around  those  trees  ;  she  went 
around  twenty-seven  times  before  she  could 
decide  what  she  would  do  with  them.  And 
at  last  she  said,  '  Father,  I'll  have  a  garden 
up  on  top  of  them.'  " 

"  Oh,  dear  !  "  exclaimed  Van. 

"The  minute  Lucy  Ann  said  she  would  have 
a  garden  up  on  top  of  the  trees,  her  father 
put  his  fingers  in  his  mouth,  and  made  a  per- 
fectly awful  whistle,  and"- 

"  Oh,  I  know  how  he  did  it !  "  exclaimed  Joel, 
springing  to  his  feet.  "  Dave  and  I  used  to 
do  it — this  way;"  and  he  clapped  his  fingers 
to  his  mouth,  but  Ben  pounced  on  him. 

"No,  you  don't,  Joel  Pepper,"  he  cried. 

"Oh,  no,  no,  Joey!  "  exclaimed  Polly  too,  in 
alarm  ;  "  now  be  quiet,  that's  a  good  boy,  for 


LUCY    ANN'S    GARDEN.  387 

I'm  going  on  with  the  story.  Well,  as  soon 
as  the  whistle  echoed  all  over  the  place,  there 
came  running  from  every  direction  ever  so 
many  men,  and  every  one  had  an  axe  on  his 
shoulder ;  and  as  soon  as  they  reached  Lucy 
Ann's  father  and  Lucy  Ann,  they  stopped  and 
leaned  on  the  handles  of  their  axes,  and  said, 
'  Did  you  call  us,  Master  ? ' 

"  '  Stop  talking,'  roared  Lucy  Ann's  father  at 
them  ;  for  he  wanted  to  be  cross  with  somebody, 
and  he  didn't  want  to-  scold  his  daughter.  '  Do 
just  as  she  tells  you  to  ; '  and  then  he  picked  up 
his  own  axe,  and  ran  off  as  fast  as  his  feet 
would  carry  him  into  the  house,  and  shut  the 
door  and  locked  it. 

"  « Cut  off  all  the  tops  of  those  trees,'  com- 
manded Lucy  Ann,  pointing  to  them,  'every 
single  snip  of  a  leaf.'  " 

"  I  thought  she  didn't  want  the  trees  cut 
down,"  cried  Percy  abruptly. 

"  Hush  !  "  cried  Van,  delighted  to  catch 
Percy  interrupting,  while  Polly  made  haste  to 
say,  "  Oh  !  this  is  different.  It's  only  the  tops 
she  wanted  cut  off ;  "  and  Ben  said,  "  Wait,  and 
hear  the  rest  of  the  story."  • 

"  And  so  the  men  with  the  axes  did  exactly 


388      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

as  Lucy  Ann  told  them  ;  and  pretty  soon  all  the 
trees  were  snipped  off  even,  and  just  alike. 

"  '  Now  go  and  bring  a  board  big  enough  to 
set  on  the  tops  of  all  those  trees,'  she  com- 
manded, 'and  lay  it  on  them,  for  I'm  going  to 
have  a  garden  up  there.'  " 

"  Oh,  oh,  oh  !  "  screamed  the  Whitneys  de- 
lightedly. 

"  And  in  just  ten  minutes  by  Lucy  Ann's 
little  diamond  watch  in  her  belt,  it  "  — 

"O  Polly!  did  Lucy  Ann  have  a  watch  all 
made  of  diamonds  ?  "  asked  Percy.  "  Ladies 
have  them,  but  girls  don't." 

"  Lucy  Ann  had  one,  anyway,"  said  Polly  in 
her  most  decisive  fashion  ;  "and  hers  was  just 
one  big  diamond,  with  the  minute  hand  and  the 
hour  hand  set  in  the  middle  "  — 

"  Oh ! "  gasped  Ben,  tumbling  back  in  his 
seat. 

"  And  in  just  ten  minutes,"  repeated  Polly, 
"by  that  little  diamond  watch  stuck  in  her  belt, 
the  board  was  up  on  top  of  all  those  trees ; 
and  then  she  commanded  the  men  to  cover  it 
all  over  with  dirt,  ever  so  deep ;  and  after  that 
she  made  them  huild  some  cunning,  little  steps 
leading  up  to  it,  —  two  pairs  of  steps,  '  because 


LUCY   ANN'S   GARDEN.  389 

I  never  mean  to  go  down  the  same  pair  I  come 
up,'  she  said  to  herself;  and  in  just  half  an 
hour  from  the  time  she  began  to  think  about 
it,  there  was  her  garden  all  done.  And  her 
father  peeped  out  of  the  window  all  the  time, 
and  he  called  her  mother,  and  all  the  people  in 
the  house ;  and  every  one  took  a  window,  and 
watched  to  see  how  the  work  went  on." 

"  I  should  think  they'd  want  to,"  said  Ben 
with  another  gasp. 

"  And  then  Lucy  Ann  said,  '  Now  run  away, 
just  as  fast  as  you  can,  every  single  one  of 
you  ; '  and  she  stamped  her  foot  to  make  them 
run  faster;  so  they  picked  up  their  axes  and 
scampered  off,  and  she  was  left  alone.  And 
then  she  walked  around  her  garden  twenty- 
seven  times  more,  trying  to  think  what  she 
would  plant  in  it." 

"  And  what  did  she,  Polly  Pepper  ? "  de- 
manded Van  eagerly.  "  What  did  she  plant  in 
it?" 

"Wait  and  see,"  said  Polly  gayly.  "Well, 
when  she  had  got  around  the  twenty-seventh 
time,  she  sat  down  quite  tired  out ;  and  then 
she  clapped  her  hands,  and  over  the  grass 
came  running  a  little  girl  not  much  bigger 


39O      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

than  she  was.  '  Go  and  bring  the  flower- 
basket,'  commanded  Lucy  Ann,  '  and  be  quick, 
Betserilda.'  " 

"  What  did  she  tell  her  to  bring  the  flower- 
basket  for  ? "  asked  little  Dick,  crowding  into 
the  centre  of  the  group. 

"Why,  because  she  wanted  to  use  it,"  said 
Polly. 

"  And  who  was  Betserilda  ?  "  asked  Percy. 

"  Why,  the  girl  she  told  to  bring  it,"  said 
Jasper;  "don't  you  understand?" 

"  Oh  !  "  said  Percy. 

"  You  see,  Betsy's  name  was  really  Betsy 
Amarilda,"  said  Polly;  "but  that  was  too  long, 
for  sometimes  Lucy  Ann  was  in  quite  a  hurry, 
and  so  she  always  called  her  Betserilda." 

"  Oh  !  "  said  Percy  again. 

"So  Betserilda  ran  with  all  her  might,  and 
came  back  dragging  the  flower-basket  after 
her;  and  then  the  two  girls  took  hold  of  the 
handle,  and  went  off  into  the  woods  after 
flowers." 

"  Polly,"  cried  Phronsie  suddenly,  "  I  very 
much  wish  we  might  go  into  the  woods  after 
flowers  ;  "  she  gave  a  long  sigh,  and  every  one 
turned  to  look  at  her. 


LUCY    ANN  S    GARDEN. 


391 


"  We  can't,"  said   Polly  ;  "  there  aren't  any 
woods  in  this  big  city;  "  and  she  sighed  too. 

*'  But  think  what  splendid  grounds  these  are, 
and  what  monstrous  trees,"  cried  Ben  hastily, 
and   pointing   to    them,  as  Joel 
. \i  i      began  to  kick  his  heels  and  loud- 
ly  wish  he  could   run  into  the 


Lucy  Ann's  garden 


woods  too.     "  Polly,  what  are  you  going  to  say 
next  ?"  asked  Ben,  catching  her  eye. 

"  What  ?  oh,  let  me  see  !  "  cried  Polly,  bring- 
ing herself  back  from  the  delightful  vision  of 


392      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

a  day  in  the  woods ;  "  well,  off  they  trudged, 
Lucy  Ann  and  Betserilda,  and  they  began  to 
dig  and  "  — 

"  What  did  they  dig,  Polly  ? "  asked  Phron- 
sie,  very  much  interested,  and  laying  her  little 
face  on  Polly's  arm,  "the  little  violets  under 
the  moss  ? " 

"  Yes,"  said  Polly,  "  lots  and  lots  of  them, 
Phronsie." 

"And  the  red  berries?"  Phronsie  kept  on, 
"  and  the  long  green  stems,  and  the  cunning 
little  cups  in  the  moss." 

"  Yes,"  said  Polly,  "  they  did ;  all  those, 
Phronsie." 

"  Every  single  one,  Polly  ?  "  asked  Phronsie, 
a  little  flush  stealing  over  her"  cheek. 

"  Every  single  one,"  declared  Polly  posi- 
tively. "  Lucy  Ann  dug  them  all  up,  and  Bet- 
serilda put  them  in  the  flower-basket,  and  then 
they  covered  them  with  moss,  and  then  they 
both  took  hold  of  the  handle  again  ;  but  they 
didn't  start  to  go  back  until  Lucy  Ann  had 
most  politely  invited  all  the  birds  and  squirrels 
to  come  and  visit  her  garden." 

"  And  would  they  come,  Polly  ?  "  cried  Phron- 
sie greatly  excited. 


LUCY    ANN  S    GARDEN.  393 

"To  be  sure;  yes,  indeed,"  said  Polly. 
"Every  one  of  them  said  'Thank  you;'  and 
every  one  of  them  said  they  would,  and  they'd 
bring  all  their  friends." 

"  Oh,  how  nice  !  "  cried  Phronsie  ;  and  she 
sank  back  in  great  satisfaction  in  the  corner  of 
her  seat. 

"  Well,  when  everything  was  at  last  ready  in 
Lucy  Ann's  Garden,  and  Betserilda  had  brought 
the  big  water-pot,  and  watered  it  all  over,  and 
every  little  leaf  was  pulled  and  patted  out,  and 
nothing  more  was  left  to  be  done,  Lucy  Ann 
sat  down  a  minute  to  think,  and  she  put  her 
head  in  her  hands,  like  this  ;  "  down  went  Polly's 
brown  head,  and  everything  was  still  a  minute. 

"  Go  on,  Polly  Pepper,"  begged  Van,  pulling 
her  sleeve ;  "  don't  think  any  more,  but  tell  the 
rest  of  the  story." 

"  Lucy  Ann  screamed  out,"  said  Polly,  lifting 
her  head  so  suddenly  they  all  started,  "  '  I've  got 
an  idea ! ' 

"Betserilda  set  down  the  watering-pot,  and 
dropped  a  courtesy ;  for  she  wasn't  allowed  to 
speak,  you  know,  unless  told  to." 

"Why  not,  Polly  ?"  asked  Van,  who  wanted 
the  last  bit  of  information  possible. 


394      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 


She  put  her  head  In  her  hands,   like  this. 


LUCY    ANN  S    GARDEN.  395 

"  Because  she  was  kept  to  wait  on  Lucy 
Ann,"  said  Polly  ;  "  and  unless  Lucy  Ann  told 
her  to,  she  couldn't  speak." 

"Oh!"  said  Van. 

" '  I'm  going  to  give  a  party,'  screamed  Lucy 
Ann,  jumping  up  and  down,  'in  my  garden. 
Now  speak,  Betserilda,  and  say  that  is  a  most 
beautiful  idea.' 

"'That  is  a  most  beautiful  idea,'  said  Bet- 
serilda. 

"  '  I  thought  so,'  said  Lucy  Ann.  *  Now,  do 
you  run  all  through  the  wood,  and  give  my 
invitation  to  every  bird  and  squirrel  you  see, 
and  every  snake  and  hop-toad,  and  every  chip- 
munk and  woodchuck,  and  tell  them  to  come 
to-night  as  soon  as  the  moon  gets  up.  Hang 
up  the  watering-pot  on  the  first  crotch  of  the 
tree  you  find  going  down,  and  run  as  fast  as 
you  can.' " 

"Oh!  oh!"  screamed  the  Whitney  boys  in 
glee. 

"  Didn't  I  tell  you  'twas  a  prime  story  ? " 
cried  Joel,  punching  Van,  who  never  could  get 
so  far  away  as  to  be  beyond  his  fingers. 

"  Ow  !    Be  still !  "  said  Van,  edging  off  again. 

"  So  Betserilda  did  as  she  was  bid,  and  hung 


396      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

up  the  watering-pot  on  the  first  crotch  of  the 
tree  she  could  find  underneath  Lucy  Ann's 
Garden,  and  then  away  she  ran  on  the  tips  of 
her  toes  into  the  wood  again.  And  pretty  soon 
every  squirrel  and  bird  and  hop-toad  and  snake 
and  chipmunk  had  his  invitation,  and"  — 

"You  left  out  the  woodchuck,"  said  Ben; 
"poor  thing,  do  let  him  come  to  that  wonder- 
ful party,  Polly." 

"Of  course  he  came,"  cried  Polly  gayly ; 
"we  wouldn't  let  him  be  forgotten,  and  so  "  — 

"  Couldn't  the  poor  dear  sweet  little  brown 
worms  come,  Polly  ? "  asked  Phronsie,  leaning 
anxiously  forward. 

"  Dear  me,  yes,"  cried  Polly,  catching  sight 
of  Phronsie's  face  ;  "  of  course  those  nice  angle- 
worms came.  We  wouldn't  leave  them  out  for 
all  the  world.  Well,  and  in  a  minute  or  two 
every  one  of  the  people,  I  mean  the  wood- 
creatures,  were  dressing  up  and  combing  their 
hair,  and  "  — 

"  O  Polly  Pepper  !  "  exclaimed  Percy  in  dis- 
tress, "  now  I  know  this  story  can't  be  true ; 
because  squirrels  don't  comb  their  hair,  and 
birds,  and  "  — 

"  How  do  you  know  ? "  cried  Polly  at  him. 


LUCY  ANN'S  GARDEN.  397 

"Well,  hop-toads  don't,  anyway,"  declared 
Percy  obstinately. 

"Well,  my  hop-toads  do,"  said  Polly.  "I 
shall  make  every  one  of  them  comb  their  hair, 
arid  clean  their  clothes,  and  prink  up  to  go  to 
that  party,  so  there,  Percy  Whitney ! " 

"And  this  is  Polly  Pepper's  story,"  said 
Jasper.  "  Do  keep  still,  Percy,  or  out  you  go 
from  Mother  Pepper's  room." 

"  Oh  !  she  can  have  them  do  it  if  she  wants 
to,"  said  Percy,  shrinking  back  in  alarm,  with 
one  eye  on  Jasper  and  another  on  Ben,  and 
trying  to  keep  himself  as  small  as  possible. 

"  And  they  couldn't  hardly  wait  for  the  moon 
to  come  up,  they  were  all  so  anxious  to  go," 
Polly  ran  on.  "You  see,  none  of  them  had 
ever  been  to  a  party  before  in  all  their  lives." 

"  I  just  hate  parties  !  "  exploded  Joel,  having 
experienced  several  trials  in  that  line  since 
coming  to  live  at  Mr.  King's ;  "  and  they  were 
very  silly  to  want  to  go." 

"  Now,  what  do  you  think  Lucy  Ann  had 
thought  out  while  Betserilda  was  away?"  asked 
Polly  suddenly. 

No  one  of  the  children  could  possibly  guess, 
so  Polly  dashed  on.  "  Well,  she  had  it  come 


39       STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

in  a  flash  into  her  head  ;  and  off  she  ran  and 
did  it,  and  got  back  all  out  of  breath,  running 
up  one  pair  of  steps  to  her  garden,  just  as 
Betserilda  came  up  the  other  pair. 

" '  Betserilda,'  she  said,  '  what  do  you  sup- 
pose I've  done  ?  Speak.' 

"  '  I  don't  know,'  said  Betserilda. 

" '  That's  a  good  girl,  because  if  you'd  said 
you  did  know,  you'd  be  a  naughty  girl,  because 
it  all  came  out  of  my  head.  I've  engaged  the 
band,  and  we're  going  to  dance.'  " 

The  Whitney  boys  clapped  their  hands  and 
shouted  approval. 

"  Betserilda  said  nothing,  because,  you  know, 
she  couldn't  speak  unless  Lucy  Ann  told  her 
she  might.  '  You  may  talk  now,'  said  Lucy 
Ann,  'and  say,  "What  a  good  idea."'  So  Bet- 
serilda said  at  once,  '  What  a  good  idea.' 

'  "  Isn't  it  ? '  cried  Lucy  Ann,  quite  delighted." 

"  Was  Lucy  Ann  really  to  have  a  band  play  ? 
And  where  did  she  get  it?"  cried  Percy  and 
Van  together. 

"  Yes,  indeed,"  said  Polly  ;  "  she  was  —  a  real 
true  cricket-band.  She'd  engaged  every  one  of 
the  black  crickets ;  and  she  commanded  them 
to  stop  chirping,  so  as  to  save  their  music  till 


LUCY    ANN  S    GARDEN.  399 

evening.  And  every  one  said  he  would ;  and 
one  of  them  said  he'd  bring  some  cousins  that 
were  visiting  him,  called  fiddlers,  and  "  — 

"Oh  !  there  isn't  any  cricket  called  a  fiddler," 
cried  Van. 

"There  is  a  black  bug  down  by  the  seaside 
with  a  fiddle  up  over  his  shoulder,"  said  Polly. 
"  I  saw  a  picture  of  him  in  Parson  Henderson's 
book  before  I  told  this  story  in  the  litle  snow- 
house,  so  there,  Van  !  " 

"  And  don't  you  interrupt  again,"  said  Ben  at 
him,  "  or  out  you  must  go.  Now  then,  Polly, 
let's  have  the  rest  of  that  story." 

"  Where  was  I  ?  oh,  yes  ;  '  We're  surely  going 
to  dance,'  cried  Lucy  Ann,  hopping  on  all  her 
toes.  '  Now  run  into  the  house,  and  get  my 
pink  gauze  gown  all  ready,  and  my  little  silver 
shoes,  and  lay  them  on  the  bed ;  and  then  tell 
the  cook  to  make  five  hundred  little  ice-creams 
and  cakes  '  and  put  each  on  a  big  green  leaf 
when  it's  ready  to  bring  up  to  the  garden.  Run 
for  your  life,  Betserilda.' 

"So  Betserilda  ran  for  her  life  down  one 
pair  of  stairs,  and  Lucy  Ann  hopped  down  the 
other  pair,  and  the  birds  and  the  squirrels  and 
the  hop-toads  and  the  snakes  and  all  the  rest 


400      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

of  them  kept  combing  their  hair  and  prinking 
up,  and  peeking  out  of  the  wood,  and  saying  to 
each  other,  '  Hasn't  the  sun  gone  down  yet  ? ' 
and  'Isn't  the  moon  ever  coming  up  ? '  until  at 
last  it  was  time  to  go  to  the  party. 

"  And  everybody  in  Lucy  Ann's  house  kept 
peeking  out  of  all  the  windows.  They  didn't 
even  stop  for  dinner,  but  had  the  servants  bring 
it  to  them,  and  they  ate  it  sitting  in  the  win- 
dows, so  they  needn't  miss  anything ;  so  when 
the  moonlight  really  did  come,  they  were  all 
ready  to  see  every  bit  of  the  party  too.  Well, 
Lucy  Ann  in  her  pink  gauze  gown  tripped 
away  across  the  grass  in  her  little  silver  slip- 
pers, and  went  up  the  stairs  to  her  garden  with 
Betserilda  coming  after.  And  when  all  the 
wood-creatures  saw  her  going  up,  and  knew 
that  the  party  was  actually  to  begin,  they  all 
started  in  fine  shape  ;  but  they  had  to  wait  a 
bit,  which  was  quite  a  pity,  for  the  biggest 
squirrel  and  the  long  brown  snake  fell  into  a 
quarrel  which  should  go  first  in  the  procession. 

"  '  Lucy  Ann  invited  me  first,'  said  the  big 
squirrel,  chattering  so  fast  they  could  hardly 
hear  the  words. 

" '  She  likes  me  best,'  said  the  long  brown 


LUCY    ANN  S    GARDEN.  4OI 

snake,  lashing  the  pine-needles  on  the  ground 
with  his  tail. 

"This  made  the  big  squirrel  very  angry;  and 
he  cried  in  a  sharp  voice,  '  I'll  bite  you  ; '  and 
he  was  just  going  to  do  it,  when  somebody,  way 
back  in  the  procession,  cried  out,  '  You're  muss- 
ing your  hair,  flying  in  such  a  rage.' 

"'To  be  sure,'  said  the  big  squirrel,  putting 
up  one  paw  to  smooth  his  head  carefully ;  '  let 
us  not  quarrel  and  bite  till  after  the  party. 
We  will  both  go  in  together,  that's  the  best 
way.' 

" '  As  you  like,'  said  the  long  brown  snake, 
who  didn't  want  to  fight ;  '  there  is  room  enough 
for  us  both,  as  I  am  quite  thin.'  So  they  both 
led  off ;  and  soon  they  were  all  up  in  the  gar- 
den, and  making  splendid  bows  and  courtesies 
to  Lucy  Ann.  And  as  fast  as  each  one  made 
his  bow  or  courtesy,  she  would  say,  if  it  pleased 
her,  'That's  a  good  one,  —  check  it  off,  Betse- 
rilda ; '  and  Betserilda  would  make  a  little  mark 
in  a  big  black  book  she  had  in  her  hand.  And 
if  it  was  very  bad,  Lucy  Ann  would  say  it  must 
be  done  over  again.  But  at  last  they  were 
r/eady  to  dance." 

"  Who  danced  with  Lucy  Ann  ?  "  asked  Van, 


4O2      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

breaking  in  ;  but  Jasper  pulled  him  back,  and 
Polly  went  on. 

"  And  the  cricket  band  struck  up ;  and  then 
Lucy  Ann  stood  upon  a  mushroom  she  had  had 
brought  up  in  the  garden  for  a  stool,  so  she 
looked  very  tall  and  big,  and  she  said,  '  Look 
at  me,'  and  everybody  looked  at  her  with  all 
his  eyes  ;  '  I  am  going  to  say  something.' 

"  '  I'm  not  going  to  dance  with  any  of  you,' 
she  said  ;  '  for,  you  see,  I  cannot  dance  with  all ; 
I  should  be  quite  tired  out,  there  are  so  many 
of  you.  But  I  must  dance ;  so  I  am  going  to 
wait  for  my  prince,  for  of  course  some  one  will 
come  ; '  and  she  smoothed  down  her  pink  gauze 
gown  in  great  contentment,  and  fluttered  her 
pink  feather  fan.  '  Now  begin ;  I  shall  wait 
for  my  prince ; '  and  she  hopped  off  from  her 
mushroom  stool,  and  the  cricket  band  struck 
up  their  liveliest  tune  ;  and  while  Lucy  Ann  sat 
down  by  a  little  clump  of  violets  at  the  very  end 
of  her  garden,  every  single  one  of  the  party 
folks  began  to  dance. 

"  Now,  there  was  in  the  wood  one  person 
who  didn't  happen  to  be  invited  to  that  party. 
Lucy  Ann  didn't  know  he  was  there,  so  she 
couldn't  send  him  an  invitation  you  see.  And 


,  LUCY    ANN  S    GARDEN.  403 

he  had  only  arrived  that  day,  being  on  his  way 
to  another  place  when  he  succeeded  in  running 
away  from  a  cruel  master;  and  when  he  saw 
the  nice  cool  wood,  he  thought  he  would  stop 
awhile  and  get  rested.  And  then  he  overheard 
the  chatter  about  the  party,  though  nobody  saw 
him  ;  and  after  that  he  made  up  his  mind  he 
would  stay  and  see  it  all  from  an 'overhanging 
tree." 

"  I  know  what  it  was,"  piped  Phronsie  in  a 
gleeful  voice  ;  "  he  was  a  "  — 

"Hush — hush!"  cried  Ben,  springing  for- 
ward, and  "Don't  tell,  Pet,"  from  Polly  as  she 
rushed  on. 

"  And  when  he  heard  Lucy  Ann  say  that 
about  her  prince,  and  waiting  for  him  to  come 
and  dance  with  her,  he  said  to  himself,  — 

"'Why  shouldn't  I  be  the  prince?'  and  the 
next  minute  he  was  combing  his  hair,  and 
prinking  up,  and  then  he  was  ready." 

"Oh!  oh!"  screamed  all  those  who  hadn't 
heard  the  story  in  the  little  snow-house ;  and 
Joel  kept  nudging  Van  and  saying,  "  Didn't  I 
tell  you  it  was  a  prime  one  ? " 

"  Well,  it  was  getting  pretty  late  now,  you 
know,  for  the  prince  was  so  anxious  to  look 


404      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

nice,  he  took  a  good  deal  of  time  to  prink  up  ; 
and  Lucy  Ann  began  to  look  sad,  and  she  called 
Betserilda,  who  had  to  stand  perfectly  still  be- 
hind the  clump  of  violets.  '  I  am  really  afraid 
I  shall  have  to  cry,'  said  Lucy  Ann ;  '  for  my 
prince  doesn't  come,  and  I  don't  know  what  to 
do,  for  my  tears  will  make  it  so  wet  in  the 
garden  that  they  will  all  get  cold;'  and  just 
then  up  came  the  prince,  his  cap  in  his  hand, 
along  the  stairway,  and  there  was  the  sweetest, 
dearest  little  monkey  you  ever  saw  in  a  red 
coat,  standing  before  her  ! "  cried  Polly,  with 
a  sudden  flourish,  and  jumping  to  her  feet. 


THE    CHINA    MUG.  405 


XXIII. 

THE    CHINA    MUG. 

,  no !  I  won't  have  them  on,"  declared 
little  Dick,  shaking  his  head  savagely, 
till  it  seemed  as  if  every  one  of  the  small  bits  of 
brown  paper  must  fly  off. 

"  O  Dicky ! "  exclaimed  Polly  in  dismay, 
"you've  bumped  your  head  so  falling  down- 
stairs." 

"  Haven't  bumped  my  head,"  cried  Dick, 
whirling  around  so  that  none  of  the  children 
could  investigate  the  big  lumps  on  his  head. 
"  I  wish  they'd  all  tumble  off ; "  and  he  gave 
another  vigorous  shake,  that  made  the  biggest 
piece  of  wet  brown  paper  settle  over  his  left 
eye. 

"Very  well,"  said  Polly  coolly;  "we  must  go 
to  Mrs.  Whitney  then,  and  tell  her  that  you  are 
shaking  off  all  the  brown  paper.  I  was  going 
to  tell  you  a  story,  but  we  can't  have  it  now." 


406      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

Little  Dick  plucked  off  the  big  bit  of  wet 
brown  paper  from  his  eye,  and  looked  at  her. 
"I'll  stick  them  on  again,"  he  said. 

"Very  well,"  said  Polly  once  more  ;  "  I'll  put 
them  back;  that's  a  good  boy;"  and  she  pro- 
ceeded to  do  so,  till  Dicky  was  ornamented 
with  the  brown  paper  bits,  all  in  the  right 
places.  "'Now,'  says  I,  as  Grandma  Bascom 
used  to  say,  'we'll  have  the  story.'  I'm  going  to 
tell  you  about  '  The  China  Mug.'  " 

"  I'm  glad  of  that,"  said  Jasper,  "  because  that 
was  one  of  the  stories  we  had  on  a  baking-day 
in  The  Little  Brown  House,  —  do  you  remem- 
ber, Polly?" 

"As  if  we  could  ever  forget,"  cried  Polly 
happily.  And  thereupon  ensued  such  a  "  Do 
you  remember  this?"  and  "Oh!  you  haven't 
forgotten  that  in  The  Little  Brown  House!" 
that  the  Whitney  children  fell  into  despair,  and 
began  to  implore  that  the  story  might  begin  at 
once. 

"  You're  always  talking  of  the  good  times  in 
The  Little  Brown  House,"  cried  Van,  who  never 
could  forgive  Jasper  for  his  good  fortune  in 
having  been  there. 

"Can't  help  it,"  said  Jasper,  showing  signs  of 


THE    CHINA    MUG.  407 

rushing  off  again  in  reminiscence ;  so  Polly 
hastened  to  say,  "We  really  ought  not  to  talk 
any  more  about  it,  but  get  on  with  the  story. 
Well,  you  know,  the  China  Mug  was  our  China 
Mug,  and  it  stood  on  the  left  corner  of  the 
shelf  in  the  kitchen  of  The 
Little  Brown  House." 

"Is    it    a   true    story?' 
clamored  Van. 

"Oh,  you  must- 
n't ask  me!  "cried 
Polly  gayly,  who 
wasn't   going    to 
be  called  from  the  land 
of   Fancy   just  then  by 
any  question. 

"Don't  interrupt,  any 
of  you,"  said  Jasper,  "or 
I'll  ask  Polly  not  to  tell 
about  'The  China  Mug  ;' 
you  would  better  keep  Litt|e  Dick  p|ucked  off  ^  big 

Still,   for  it's   a  fine    StOry,  bit  of  wet  brown  paper  from 

,.  his  eye. 

I  can  tell  you. 

So  Van  doubled  himself  up  in  a  ball  on  the 
corner  of  the  big  sofa,  and  subsided  into  quiet, 
and  Polly  began  once  more. 


408      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

"Yes,  the  China  Mug  was  really  and  truly 
our  China  Mug  on  the  left  corner  of  the  shelf 
in  the  kitchen  of  The  Little  Brown  House.  It 
was  a  very  old  mug,  oh  !  I  don't  know  how 
many  years  old,  two  or  three  hundred,  I  guess  ; 
for  you  see  it  was  our  father's  mug  when  he 
was  a  little  boy,  and  his  father  had  it  when  he 
was  a  little  boy,  and" — 

"Did  they  all  drink  their  milk  from  it?" 
broke  in  little  Dick,  forgetting  all  about  the  in- 
dignity of  having  his  head  plastered  up  with 
bits  of  wet  brown  paper ;  "  all  those  little  boys, 
Polly?" 

"  Yes,  I  suppose  so,"  said  Polly  ;  "  for  you  see 
they  were  all  called  Samuel,  and  every  Samuel 
in  the  family  had  this  mug,  so  "  — 

"  I  wish  I  could  be  Samuel,  and  have  a  mug 
that  was  in  The  Little  Brown  House,"  said 
Dick  reflectively. 

"Well,  it  had  a  funny  twisted  handle,"  said 
Polly,  hurrying  on  ;  "  and  oh  !  the  loveliest  lady 
with  a  pink  sash,  and  long,  floating  hair;  and  she 
had  a  basket  of  roses  on  one  arm,  and  she  was 
picking  up  her  gown  and  courtesying  just  like 
this."  Polly  jumped  to  her  feet,  and  executed  a 
most  remarkable 'courtesy. 


THE    CHINA    MUG.  409 

"  Was  she  standing  on  the  handle  ?  "  asked 
Percy,  who  had  a  fancy  for  all  minute  details. 

"  Oh,  dear  me,  no  !  "  said  Polly,  laughing  mer- 
rily ;  and  she  nearly  fell  on  her  nose,  as  she  was 
just  finishing  the  courtesy  ;  "  she  couldn't  stand 
on  the  handle.  She  was  on  the  front  of  the 
China  Mug,  to  be  sure ;  and  there  was  a  most 
beautiful  little  man,  and  he  had  a  cocked  hat 
under  his  arm,  and  he  was  bowing  to  her  as  she 
courtesied." 

"Tell  how  the  beautiful  little  man  bowed," 
begged  the  children.  So  Polly,  who  had  hopped 
into  her  seat,  had  to  jump  up  again,  and  show 
them  just  exactly  how  the  beautiful  little  man, 
with  the  cocked  hat  under  his  arm,  bowed  to 
the  lovely  lady  with  a  pink  sash  on,  and  a  basket 
of  roses  hanging  on  her  arm.  Then  she  hur- 
ried back,  quite  tired  out,  to  her  place. 

"  He  had  on  a  blue  coat,  and  his  hair  was  all 
white,  and"  — 

"  O  Polly  !  was  he  so  very  old  ? "  cried  Van 
from  his  sofa-corner. 

"  Dear  me,  no  !  "  said  Polly  again  ;  "  he  was 
young  and  most  beautiful,  but  his  hair  was 
powdered,  just  as  the  man's  is  in  the  big  picture 
in  the  drawing-room  ;  and  it  was  tied  up  in  the 


4io 


STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 


back  with  a  bow  of  ribbon  just  like  that  one 
too  ;  and  he  had  buckles  on  his  knees,  and 
on  his  shoes,  just  the  very  same.  Well,  he 
kept  bowing  and  bowing  all  the  time,  and 
the  lovely  lady  with  the  pink  sash  on,  and  the 
basket  of  roses  hanging  on  her  arm,  kept  cour- 


man  and  the  lovely  lady  on  the  china  mug. 


tesying  to  him  all  the  time  ;  and  they  had  been 
doing  that  for  two  or  three  hundred  years." 

"O  Polly  Pepper!"  exclaimed  Percy  quite 
shocked;  "how  could  they  bow  and  courtesy 
for  two  hundred  years  ?  " 

"  Well,  they  did,"  said  Polly,  hurrying  on ; 
"and"  — 


THE    CHINA    MUG.  411 

"  If  you  interrupt  again,  out  you  go,"  from 
Jasper. 

"  And  at  last  one  night  when  we  were  all 
abed,  —  Mamsie  and  Phronsie  and  I  in  the  bed- 
room, and  the  three  boys  in  the  loft,  —  and  all 
of  us  fast  asleep,  suddenly  the  beautiful  little 
man  exclaimed,  '  I  am  quite  tired  out  bowing 
to  you ! '  '  And  I  am  quite,  quite  exhausted 
courtesying  to  you  all  the  time,"  declared  the 
lovely  lady. 

"  '  And  I  shall  stop  bowing,  and  turn  my  br.ck 
on  you,'  said  the  beautiful  little  man. 

"  '  And  I  shall  not  courtesy  again,  but  I  shall 
turn  my  back  on  you,'  said  the  lovely  lady. 

"'And  I  shall  walk  away,'  said  the  beautiful 
little  man. 

"  '  And  I  shall  walk  away  from  you/  declared 
the  lovely  lady. 

"  And  so  they  both  whirled  around,  and 
walked  away  as  fast  as  ever  they  could  from 
each  other ;  and  when  they  got  to  the  funny 
twisted  handle  on  the  back  of  the  mug,  the 
lovely  lady  went  under  it,  but  the  beautiful  little 
man  hopped  over  it  briskly,  and  on  they  both 
hurried ;  and  the  first  thing  either  of  them 
knew,  there  they  were  on  the  front  of  the  mug 


412      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

staring  into  each  other's  faces  as  they  went  by. 
And  so  round  and  round  the  mug  they  walked, 
and  they  never  spoke  when  they  went  past  each 
other  except  to  say,  '  I  shall  not  bow  to  you,' 
and  '  I  shall  not  courtesy  to  you,'  and  then  away. 
they  went  again.  Oh,  it  was  too  dreadful  to 
think  of ! 

"  And  at  last  they  had  been  going  on  so, 
around  and  around,  oh !  two  million  times,  I 
guess  ;  and  the  lovely  lady's  poor  little  feet  had 
become  so  tired  out,  that  she  could  hardly  step 
on  them,  and  she  sobbed  out  to  herself,  —  she 
had  just  passed  the  beautiful  little  man  on  the 
front  of  the  mug,  so  he  couldn't  see  her,  —  '  I 
know  I  shall  drop  down  and  die,  if  I  keep  on 
like  this;'  so  she  gave  a  great  jump,  and  she 
flew  clear  over  the  edge  of  the  mug,  and  hopped 
down  inside." 

"Oh,  oh!"  screamed  little  Dick  in  a  trans- 
port. 

"  And  when  the  beautiful  little  man  came 
stepping  around  to  the  front  of  the  mug  the 
next  time,  lo,  and  behold  !  there  was  no  lovely 
lady,  with  a  basket  of  roses  hanging  on  her  arm, 
to  say,  '  I  won't  courtesy  to  you.' 

"  '  How  glad  I  am   that  that  tiresome  crea- 


THE    CHINA    MUG.  413 

ture  has  gone  ! '  he  exclaimed,  as  he  skipped  off 
around  the  mug.  And  he  said  it  the  next  time, 
and  "  — 

"  I  don't  think  he  was  nice  at  all,"  observed 
little  Dick,  bobbing  his  head  so  decidedly  that 
some  of  the  brown  paper  concluded  to  fly  off  at 
once. 

"And  he  said  it  the  next  time,"  ran  on  Polly, 
"  and  the  next ;  but  when  he  came  around  again, 
he  rubbed  his  eyes,  and  tried  to  stop,  but  his 
feet  wouldn't  let  him  ;  so  on  he  had  to  go." 

"Oh,  dear!"  said  Percy  and  Van,  "couldn't 
he  really  stop,  Polly  ?  " 

"  No,"  said  Polly,  "  he  couldn't  really,  but 
around  the  mug  he  must  keep  going.  And  the 
time  after,  when  he  came  to  the  front  once 
more,  it  was  all  he  could  do  to  keep  from  burst- 
ing into  tears.  And  at  last  he  screamed  right 
out,  '  Oh,  dear,  lovely  lady  !  where  have  you 
gone  ? ' " 

"  Why,  she  was  in  the  mug,"  said  Van,  tum- 
bling off  from  the  sofa-corner  in  a  great  state 
of  excitement  ;  "do  tell  him  that,  Polly,"  coming 
up  to  her  chair. 

"  Keep  still,"  said  Ben,  holding  up  a  warning 
finger. 


4H  STORIES    POLLY    PEPPER    TOLD. 

"  But  he  couldn't  stop,  for  you  see  his  feet 
wouldn't  let  him,"  said  Polly  ;  "  and  he  began  to 
cry  dreadfully  big  tears  all  over  his  fine  blue  coat 
and  his  cocked  hat ;  and  every  time  before  he 
reached  the  front  of  the  mug,  he  watched  be- 
tween his  sobs,  to  see  if  she  had  got  back ;  and 
when  he  found  that  she  hadn't,  he  screamed 
worse  than  ever,  '  Oh,  dear,  sweet,  lovely  lady  ! 
where  have  you  gone?'" 

"I  don't  think  she  was  nice,"  said  Percy;  "she 
might  have  said  something." 

"  And  there  she  was  all  huddled  up  in  the 
bottom  of  the  mug,"  said  Polly  ;  "  crying  so  hard 
she  could  scarcely  breathe  ;  and  she  tried  to 
call  back  to  him  '  Oh,  dear,  beautiful  little  man  ! 
do  come  and  help  me  out ;'  but  her  voice  didn't 
reach  anywhere,  for  it  was  such  a  wee,  little 
squeal ;  so  on  he  had  to  go  around  and  around, 
and  she  kept  on  shaking  and  trembling  down 
in  the  very  bottom  of  the  mug." 

The  excitement  among  the  Whitney  boys 
was  intense ;  the  little  bunch  of  Peppers  and 
Jasper  preserving  a  smiling  content,  knowing 
well  what  was  to  become  of  the  lovely  lady 
and  the  beautiful  little  man,  since  Polly  had  told 
it  more  than  once  in  The  Little  Brown  House. 


THE    CHINA    MUG.  415 

"  Do  hurry,  and  tell  them,"  whispered  Ben 
in  her  ear ;  so  Polly  laughed  and  hastened  on. 

" '  I'll  help  you,'  suddenly  said  a  voice  close 
by  on  the  shelf.  The  lovely  lady  bobbing  away 
in  the  very  bottom  of  the  mug,  and  the  beauti- 
ful little  man  crying  his  eyes  "out  as  he  walked 
around  and  around  the  China  Mug,  stopped 
weeping  and  screaming  to  listen  with  all  their 
ears. 

" '  I  am  Sir  Bow-wow/  declared  the  voice, 
which  came  out,  you  must  know,  of  Phronsie's 
crockery  dog  that  a  lady  in  the  centre  of  Badg- 
ertown  gave  her,  when  she  was  a  baby,  to  cut 
her  teeth  on.  Phronsie  used  to  put  his  head 
in  her  mouth,  and  bite  hard,  and  that  made  her 
teeth  come  through  quicker.  Well,  he  was 
brown  and  ugly,  and  one  ear  was  gone,  because 
she  had  dropped  him  a  good  many  times.  Oh  ! 
and  two  or  three  of  his  toes  were  broken  off; 
but  he  was  a  great  help  now  in  this  dreadful 
trouble  that  had  overtaken  the  lovely  lady  and 
the  beautiful  little  man,  because  he  had  a  good 
head  to  think  out  things.  ' 

"  I  am  so  glad  Phronsie  didn't  bite  it  off," 
said  Van  with  a  sigh  of  relief. 

"  Well,  go  on,"  said  Percy  briefly. 


416      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

"  Sir  Bow-wow  cleared  his  throat  ;  then  he 
asked  sharply,  '  Are  you  sure  you  won't  ever 
say  such  dreadful  things  as  I  heard  from  you, 
ever  again,  in  all  this  world?' 

"  '  Oh,  quite,  quite  sure  ! '  said  the  lovely  lady, 
heaving  a  long  sigh  ;  '  if  you  will  only  get  me 
out  of  this  dismal  place,  Sir  Bow-wow,  I  will 
be  just  as  good  as  I  can  be.' 

'"And  if  you  will  only  bring  back  that  lovely 
lady  I  will  be  just  as  good  as  I  can  be,'  said 
the  beautiful  little  man  ;  '  Sir  Bow-wow,  I  prom- 
ise you.'  And  they  couldn't  hear  each  other, 
only  what  the  brown  crockery  clog  said  ;  and 
he  asked  again,  '  Are  you  sure  you  won't  turn 
your  backs  on  each  other,  but  you  will  bow  and 
courtesy  as  prettily  as  you  always  used  to  ? ' 

"And  they  both  promised  him  most  solemnly 
that  they  would  do  that  very  thing,  if  he  would 
only  help  them  now  out  of  this  dreadful,  dread- 
ful trouble.  So  the  brown  crockery  dog  jumped 
up  to  the  top  of  the  funny,  twisted  handle  of 
the  China  Mug,  and  sat  there  and  scratched  his 
head  very  gravely,  and  thought  and  thought, 
while  the  beautiful  little  man  walked  twice 
around  the  China  Mug.  'The  very  thing!' 
at  last  exclaimed  Sir  Bow-wow.  'Now,  then, 


THE    CHINA    MUG.  4I/ 

hurry,  lovely  lady,'  and  he  put  one  of  his  paws 
over  the  top  of  the  mug,  and  then  peeped  over. 
'  Can't  you  reach  up  ? '  he  asked. 

"  But  the  lovely  lady  down  in  the  bottom  of 
the  China  Mug,  although  she  stood  on  all  her 
tip  toes  couldn't  so  much  as  touch  the  end 
of  his  paw.  'I  shall  die  here,'  she  said,  in  a 
faint  voice,  huddling  down  in  a  miserable,  little 
heap,  and  beginning  to  weep  again. 

" '  Nonsense ! '  cried  Sir  Bow-wow,  although  he 
was  terribly  afraid  that  she  would.  '  I'll  think 
again.'  So  he  scratched  his  head  once  more, 
and  thought,  while  the  beautiful  little  man 
walked  twice  around  the  China  Mug.  'This 
time  I  have  it ! '  declared  the  brown  crockery 
dog,  and  he  put  his  paw  over  the  edge  of  the 
mug.  '  Twine  the  roses  in  the  basket  on  your 
arm  into  a  vine,  and  throw  up  one  end  over  my 
paw,  and  I  will  pull  you  up.' 

"  And  the  lovely  lady  stopped  crying,  and  be- 
gan to  laugh,  all  the  while  she  set  to  work 
busily  making  a  vine  out  of  the  roses  in  the 
basket  hanging  on  her  arm ;  and  she  twisted  the 
thorns  and  leaves  all  in  and  out  so  nicely,  that 
before  long  she  had  a  streaming  garland ;  and 
she  threw  up  one  end  of  it  over  the  paw  of  Sir 


41 8      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

Bow-wow,  just  as  he  had  told  her  to  do,  and,  in  a 
minute,  there  she  was  standing  on  the  edge  of  the 
China  Mug,  up  by  the  funny  twisted  handle. 

"  '  That's  fine ! '  cried  Sir  Bow-wow,  so  greatly 
pleased  that  he  wanted  to  bark;  but  he  didn't 
dare  for  fear  of  scaring  the  beautiful  little  man 
who  was  now  aproaching  the  funny  twisted 
handle.  "Hurry  and  hop  down,  O  lovely  lady, 
and  run  to  your  place,  for  here  he  comes  ! ' 

"  So  the  lovely  lady  hopped  down,  and  hurried 
with  all  her  might  to  her  old  place  on  the  front 
of  the  China  Mug,  crowding  her  rose  garland 
into  the  basket  hanging  on  her  arm  as  she  went 
along.  And  she  had  just  got  there,  and  was 
picking  up  her  gown  to  make  a  little  courtesy, 
when  the  beautiful  little  man  came  up  and 
stood  quite  still. 

"  'I  will  make  you  a  bow  all  the  rest  of  my 
life,'  he  said,  bowing  away  as  fast  as  he  could. 

"'And  I  will  courtesy  to  you  as  long  as  I 
live,'  she  said,  dropping  him  a  most  beautiful 
one.  And  so  as  there  was  nothing  else  for  him 
to  do,  Sir  Bow-wow  ran  to  his  end  of  the  shelf, 
and  stood  up  as  stiff  as  ever.  And  that's  the 
way  we  found  them  all  the  next  morning  when 
we  got  up  and  went  into  the  kitchen,"  said  Polly. 


BROWN    BETTY.  419 


XXIV. 
BROWN    BETTY. 

MRS.  WHITNEY  sat  in  her  room,  her  soft 
hair  floating  over  her  dressing-gown,  with 
little  Dick  in  her  arms,  just  as  he  had  run  wail- 
ing with  his  story  of  distress. 

"My  throat  isn't  sore,"  he  screamed  between 
his  tears ;  "  and  I  want  to  go  out  with  the  other 
boys." 

Polly,  running  along  the  hall,  with  a  new  book 
that  Jasper  had  loaned  her  tucked  under  her 
arm,  a  happy  half-hour  dancing  before  her  eyes, 
heard  him,  and  stopped  suddenly,  then  she 
turned  back,  and  put  her  brown  head  in  the 
doorway. 

"Oh,  dear!"  and  she  came  close  to  Mrs. 
Whitney's  chair. 

"I'm  not  sick,  —  and  I  want  to  go  out  with 
the  boys,"  roared  Dick,  worse  than  ever.  "  I 
want  to  go  out  —  I  want  to  go  out." 


42O      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

"I  suppose  that's  just  what  Brown  Betty 
cried,"  said  Polly,  saying  the  first  thing  that 
popped  into  her  head  of  all  the  stories  she  used 
to  tell  in  The  Little  Brown  House. 

"  Eh  ?  "  Little  Dick  lifted  his  head  from  the 
nest  where  he  had  burrowed  under  his  mother's 
soft  hair,  and  regarded  her  closely  through  his 
tears. 

Polly  knelt  down  by  Mrs.  Whitney's  side, 
and  turned  her  back  on  Jasper's  new  book, 
where  she  laid  it  on  the  floor.  "You  don't 
know  how  Brown  Betty  wanted  to  get  out,"  she 
said ;  "  but  she  couldn't  do  it,  not  a  bit  of  it." 

"Why  not?"  demanded  Dick  suddenly,  and 
edging  along  on  his  mother's  lap  to  look  into 
Polly's  eyes.  "  Why  couldn't  she  get  out, 
Polly?" 

"  Why,  because  she  fell  in,"  said  Polly,  shak- 
ing her  brown  head  sadly,  "and  there  was  no 
one  to  help  her  out,  no  matter  how  much  she 
cried ;  so  she  made  up  her  mind  not  to  cry  at 
all." 

"Didn't  she  cry  a  teenty,  wee  bit?"  asked 
little  Dick,  trying  to  wipe  away  the  drops  on 
his  cheeks  with  his  chubby  hand. 

"  Not  a  single  bit  of  a  tear,"  said  Polly  de- 


BROWN    BETTY.  421 

cidedly;  "what  was  the  use?  it  wouldn't  help 
her  to  get  out.  *  You  see,  it  was  just  this  way. 
She  was  hurrying  down  the  garden  path,  just 
as  fast  as  her  feet  would  carry  her,  and  she  had 
a  big  bundle  in  her  mouth  "  — 

"In  her  mouth?"  repeated  little  Dick  in 
astonishment ;  and,  slipping  from  his  mother's 
lap,  he  cuddled  on  the  floor  beside  Polly,  and 
folded  his  small  hands. 

"  Yes,  in  her  mouth,"  said  Polly  merrily. 
"  Oh  !  didn't  I  tell  you  ?  Brown  Betty  was  a 
dear  little  bug,  just  as  brown  as  could  be;  and 
the  bundle  in  her  mouth  was  a  piece  of  a  dead 
fly  she  was  taking  home  for  her  children's 
dinner." 

"Oh  !"  said  Dick;  "tell  me,  Polly." 

Mrs.  Whitney  slipped  out  of  her  chair  to 
finish  her  dressing,  first  pausing  to  pat  Polly's 
brown  hair. 

"  So  you  see  poor  Brown  Betty  couldn't  look 
very  well  where  she  was  going  ;  for  the  piece  of 
a  dead  fly  stuck  out  in  front  of  her  eyes  so  far, 
that  the  first  thing  she  knew,  down  she  went  — 
down,  down,  down,  —  and  she  never  stopped 
till  she  stood  in  the  midst  of  hundreds  and 
hundreds  of  black  creatures." 


422      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

"  O  Polly  !"  exclaimed  little  Dick  in  dismay. 

"Yes,"  said  Polly;  "and  there  she  was,  and 
she  couldn't  speak  for  a  minute,  for  she  had 
come  so  far  and  so  fast,  that  it  was  impossible 
for  her  to  catch  her  breath,  so  the  black  crea- 
tures ran  around  and  around  her  in  great  glee, 
and  every  one  of  them  said:  '  How  very  nice 
and  fat  you  are  ;  now  we'll  eat  you  up.'  " 

"O  Polly!"  cried  little  Dick  again,  and 
snuggling  up  closer;  "didn't  she  cry  then." 

"  No,"  said  Polly,  "  she  didn't,  because  you  see 
it  wouldn't  have  done  any  good,  —  she'd  got  to 
think  up  things,  how  to  get  out,  and  all  that, 
you  know,  so  there  wasn't  any  time  to  cry. 
And  she  spoke  up  just  as  soon  as  she  could 
catch  her  breath,  '  Oh,  what  a  wonderful  place 
is  this!'  and  she  rolled  her  little  bits  of  eyes 
all  around  ;  and  the  ants  said  "  - 

"  Oh  !  were  the  hundreds  of  black  creatures 
ants  ? "  asked  little  Dick. 

"  Yes,  indeed  ;  oh  !  didn't  I  tell  you  ?  "  cried 
Polly,  all  in  one  breath  ;  "  they  were  dear  little 
black  ants,  and  the  deep,  deep  place  that  Brown 
Betty  tumbled  into  when  she  was  carrying  home 
the  piece  of  a  dead  fly,  was  their  house.  And 
when  she  said  '  Oh,  what  a  wonderful  place  is 


BROWN    BETTY.  423 

this  ! '  they  were  all  very  much  pleased,  and  they 
ran  around  and  around  her  faster  than  ever,  all 
talking  together,  and  they  said,  'She  seems 
to  be  very  wise,  —  it's  a  pity  to  eat  her  just 
now.  We  will  wait  and  let  her  tell  us  things 
first.' 

"And  Brown  Betty  heard  them  say  that  as 
they  were  all  running  around  and  around  her ; 
for  you  see  when  she  made  up  her  mind  not 
to  cry,  she  thought  she  would  better  keep  her 
ears  open  as  well  as  her  eyes,  and  find  out  some 
way  to  escape." 

"What's  escape?"  interrupted  little  Dick. 

"  Oh  !  to  get  out,  so  they  wouldn't  eat  her 
up!"  said  Polly  ;  "well,  and  so  when  she  heard 
them  say  that,  why,  Brown  Betty  thought  of 
something  else  that  would  give  her  more  time 
to  think  up  things,  how  to  get  away.  And  she 
said,  '  Oh  !  if  I  might  only  see  some  of  the  splen- 
did places  you've  got  in  your  house,  I  should  be 
so  happy  ;"for  you  see  she  had  heard  how  the 
ants  build  great,  long  halls  and  rooms,  and  ever 
so  many  nooks  and  crannies.  And  the  big  ant 
that  made  them  all  mind  everything  she  said, 
heard  her  say  it,  because  Brown  Betty  called  it 
as  out  loud  as  she  could ;  and  so  the  big  ant 


424 


STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 


spoke  up,  and  ordered  a  company  of  a  hundred 
ants  to  get  into  line." 

"  O  Polly,  a  hundred  ants ! "  cried  little 
Dick  with  an  absorbed  face. 

"Yes,  indeed,    that's    nothing,"    said    Polly; 


"O  Polly,  a  hundred  ants!"  cried  little  Dick  with  an  absorbed  face. 

"sometimes  they  had  a  thousand  march  off 
somewhere,  wherever  the  big  Queen  Ant  would 
tell  them  to  go.  Well,  these  hundred  ran  right 
around  Brown  Betty,  and  got  her  in  the  middle. 


BROWN    BETTY.  425 

' "  Now,  go  and  show  her  the  long  corridor,' 
said  the  big  Mother  Ant." 

"You  said  she  was  the  Queen  Ant,"  cor- 
rected Dick. 

"  Yes,  so  she  was,  and  the  Mother  Ant  too," 
said  Polly ;  "  but  I  like  that  best,  so  I'm  going 
to  call  her  so.  Well  "  — 

"  Polly,"  said  little  Dick  hastily,  "  I  very 
much  wish  you'd  call  her  Captain  Ant." 

"Well,  I  will,"  said  Polly,  bursting  into  a 
merry  laugh,  that  made  Mrs.  Whitney  smile 
too,  a  smile  that  went  right  down  into  Polly's 
heart,  and  made  her  forget  all  about  Jasper's 
new  book  lying  there  on  the  floor.  "  Nc^w  she's 
Captain  Ant ;  we  mustn't  forget  that,  Dicky." 

"We  mustn't  forget  that,"  repeated  Dick,  in 
great  satisfaction.  "Now  go  on,  Polly,  do." 

"  So  the  company  of  a  hundred  ants  went  off 
just  as  Captain  Ant  had  told  them,  to  show 
Brown  Betty  the  long  corridor." 

"What's  a  long  cor  —  what  is  that  word, 
Polly  ? " 

"  Corridor  ;  oh  !  that's  a  great  long  hall,  ever 
and  ever  so  long,"  said  Polly ;  "  and  it  was  broad 
and  splendid,  and  the  walls  were  as  smooth  as 
a  board,  and  the  top  was  just  as  smooth  too, 


426      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

and  out  of  it  ran  different  rooms,  and  nooks,  and 
crannies,  and  funny  little  places.  So,  when 
Brown  Betty  heard  Captain  Ant  command  them 
to  show  her  the  long  corridor,  she  began  to  set 
her  busy  little  head  to  thinking  that  perhaps 
she  might  steal  away  from  them,  and  hide  some- 
where in  one  of  these  queer  little  spots." 

"And  did  she?"  cried  little  Dick  eagerly. 

"  Oh,  I  can't  tell  you  now !  "  said  Polly ;  "  wait 
and  see.  Well,  off  they  went  down  the  long 
corridor  with  the  smooth  dirt  walls,  and  "  — 

"You  said  it  was  board,"  corrected  little 
Dick. 

"  Oh,  no,  Dicky  !  "  said  Polly,  "  I  said  it  was  as 
smooth  as  a  board,  but  they  were  all  made  of 
dirt, — dirt  walls;  and  everything  was  all  pol- 
ished off  by  the  ants  till  it  was  straight,  and 
high,  and  splendid.  Well,  off  they  went. 

" '  What  a  perfectly  remarkable  place,'  cried 
Brown  Betty,  rolling  up  her  little  bits  of  eyes 
at  everything  as  they  marched  her  along  in  the 
middle,  which  pleased  them  very  much  ;  so  they 
let  her  drop  behind  the  procession  once  in  a 
while  to  admire  something  or  other." 

"  Oh  !  now  she  is  going  to  run  away,  I  know," 
said  Dick  in  great  excitement. 


BROWN    BETTY.  427 

"  Oh,  she  can't  get  away  yet ! "  said  Polly, 
"you  wait  and  see,  Dicky.  Just  then,  while 
she  was  hanging  back  from  the  rest  of  the 
company,  —  for  they  were  all  talking  together, 
as  they  ran  around  and  around,  and  saying  how 
extremely  wise  she  was,  and  what  a  pity  it  was 
that  they  had  got  to  eat  her  up,  after  they  had 
shown  her  all  about, — she  heard  a  little  noise. 
You  see,  she  was  peering  into  a  little  cranny." 

"What's  a  cranny?"   asked   Dick   abruptly. 

"Oh!  a  little  hide-away  place  in  the  wall," 
said  Polly.  "  Well,  she  was  peering  in  there, 
and  wondering  if  she  could  slip  in  when  the 
hundred  ants  weren't  looking,  when  she  heard 
this  little  noise." 

"  What  was  it  ? "  asked  Dick,  getting  as  close 
to  Polly  as  he  could. 

"  You'll  see.  And  then  as  she  peered  in,  she 
saw  another  brown  bug,  just  like  herself,  only 
bigger,  chained  to  the  side  of  the  wall,  so  she 
couldn't  get  away." 

"  Oh,  dear  me  !  "  exclaimed  Dick  ;  "  how  big 
was  the  chain  ?  " 

"  Oh  !  it  wasn't  big  at  all,"  said  Polly ;  "  how 
could  it  be,  to  fasten  up  that  wee  brown 
bug  ?  It  was  all  made  of  the  hairs  of  the  black 


428  STORIES  BROLLY    PEPPER    TOLD. 

spiders  dropped  in  the  garden,  where  the  ant- 
house  was ;  and  the  ants  had  twisted  them 
together,  and  made  chains  to  tie  up  their  pris- 
oners with." 

"Oh!"  said  Dicky,  drawing  a  long  breath. 
"And  was  she  tied  up  tight  ?" 

"Oh!  just  as  tight,"  said  Polly;  "the  chain 
went  all  around  her  leg,  and  over  her  neck,  and 
there  she  was  sobbing  away  as  if  her  heart 
would  break." 

"  What  made  her  cry  ?  "  asked  Dick.  "  Why 
didn't  she  think  up  things,  how  to  get  away, 
just  like  your  brown  bug,  Polly?"  and  he  drew 
himself  up  with  the  determination  to  be  like 
Brown  Betty. 

"  Well,  you  see  she  didn't,"  said  Polly,  "  that's 
just  the  difference  ;  so  there  she  was  chained 
to  the  wall  of  that  cranny. 

" '  They're  waiting  till  I  get  fat  enough,'  said 
this  poor  creature  to  Brown  Betty,  'then  they'll 
eat  me ;  I  heard  them  say  so.' 

"  Now,  Brown  Betty  couldn't  act  as  if  she 
heard  anything  you  know,  for  all  those  hundred 
ants  would  pounce  on  them  both,  and  cut  their 
heads  off,  maybe  ;  so  she  said,  '  Hush,  and  I'll 
try  to  save  you  ; '  then  she  hurried  off  to  the 


BROWN    BETTY.  429 

company.    '  Now  show  me  something  more  won- 
derful yet,'  she  said. 

"'We'll  show  her  the  Hall  of  Justice,'  said 
the  ants  one  to  another." 

"  What  is  that,  Polly  ?  "  asked  little  Dick. 

"  Oh,  you'll  see !  the  ants  are  going  to  tell 
Brown  Betty  all  about  it ; 
then  you'll  know.  Well, 
so  off  they  went ;  and  by 
this  time  they  thought  so 
much  of  Brown  Betty's 
wisdom,  for  they  were  all 
talking  of  it  together, 
that  they  got  very  care- 
less about  keeping  her 
in  the  middle,  but  they 
let  her  wander  at  the 
end  of  the  procession, 
and  stop  when  she  wanted  Brown  Betty and  the  ants- 
to  admire  anything  very  much." 

"  Oh,  now  I  know  that  she  is  going  to  run 
away  !  "  exclaimed  little  Dick,  striking  his  hands 
together  in  great  delight. 

"  And  at  last  there  they  stood  in  the  middle 
of  the  great  Hall  of  Justice.  Brown  Betty 
just  blinked  her  eyes,  she  was  so  afraid  she 


43O      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

should  cry,  when  the  ants  all  screamed  out 
together,  '  We  try  our  prisoners  here  before 
we  eat  them  up.'  But  she  pretended  she  didn't 
care;  and  she  said,  'What's  that  big  chair  up 
there?'  pointing  to  the  end  of  the  long  room. 

"'That  is  not  a  chair,'  said  the  ants  all  to- 
gether, '  that  is  the  throne.' 

"What's  a  throne?'  asked  Brown  Betty,  to 
gain  time  to  think  out  things  by  keeping  them 
talking.  Besides,  she  was  trembling  so  with 
fright,  that  her  poor  little  knees  knocked  to- 
gether, and  she  had  to  say  something  or  she 
would  have  dropped  in  a  dead  faint. 

"  '  Oh,  —  oh,  —  so  wise  a  creature  not  to  know 
what  a  throne  is ! '  exclaimed  all  the  ants  to- 
gether in  astonishment  ;  and  they  ran  around 
and  around  worse  than  ever,  till  poor  Brown 
Betty's  head  spun  to  see  them  go,  they  made 
her  so  giddy. 

"  '  It's  where  the  Queen  Ant  sits  to  '  " 

"  You  said  you'd  call  her  Captain  Ant,"  broke 
in  Dick. 

"Oh,  yes,  so  I  did!  —  well,  Captain  Ant," 
corrected  Polly.  "'  Well,  it's  where  the  Captain 
sits,'  said  the  ants  all  together,  still  running 
around  and  around,  '  to  try  the  prisoners.' 


BROWN    BETTY.  43  I 

" '  Oh  ! '  said  Brown  Betty,  her  poor  knees 
knocking  together  worse  than  ever.  Then  she 
managed  to  pick  up  courage  to  ask  the  first 
thing  that  came  into  her  head.  'How  does  she 
try  them  ? ' 

"  One  of  the  hundred  ants  ran  out  from  the 
company,  and  close  up  to  Brown  Betty.  '  She 
is  so  wise,'  he  said  to  himself,  '  I  want  to  show 
her  that  I  am  wise  too.'  So  he  hurried  up  to 
her  side.  '  Do  you  see  that  sword  hanging  up 
there?'  he  whispered;  and  the  other  ninety- 
nine  ants  were  all  talking  together  and  running 
about  so  they  didn't  hear  him. 

"  '  Where  ? '  asked  Brown  Betty,  peering  up 
above  the  throne.  '  I  see  nothing.' 

"  'Of  •  course,'  said  the  ant  who  wanted  to 
show  how  wise  he  was  ;  and  he  laughed  softly, 
he  was  so  pleased  that  he  could  tell  her  some- 
thing new.  '  You  can't  see  it  till  I  tell  you 
where  it  is,  so  I  am  wiser  than  you.  Well, 
when  the  Queen  has  that  in  her  hand,  she  can 
do  anything  she  pleases,  —  it  all  comes  to  pass. 
It  hangs  just  back  of  the  throne,  at  the  top. 
Now,  don't  you  think  I  am  wise  ? ' 

"Brown  Betty's  heart  gave  a  great  jump. 
'  Oh,  sir ! '  she  cried,  «  what  a  wonderful  creature 


432      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

you  are!'  which  so  delighted  the  ant,  that  he 
ran  round  and  round  her  sixty  times  without 
stopping,  talking  to  himself  all  the  while;  'She 
says  I'm  a  wonderful  creature.' 

"All  this  time  Brown  Betty  was  thinking  how 
she  could  get  up  into  that  throne  ;  and  presently 
she  said  as  loud  as  she  could,  '  One  of  the  most 
wonderful  places  that  ever  I  was  in  is  this  very 
spot.  But  I  must  sit  on  that  throne  before  I 
can  say  it  is  tJie  most  wonderful  place/  she 
added  boldly,  while  her  poor  knees  shook  and 
knocked  so  together  she  thought  she  should 
die. 

" '  She  must  say  it  is  the  most  wonderful  place 
she  was  ever  in,'  declared  the  company  of  ants 
in  consternation,  '  else  Captain  Ant  will  have 
our  heads  off  when  we  carry  her  back  ; '  and 
they  ran  round  and  round  her  worse  than  ever, 
saying  this  over  all  the  time. 

"At  last  they  all  stopped  and  swarmed  around 
her,  keeping  her  in  the  middle.  '  Will  you  say 
"  This  is  the  most  wonderful  place  I  was  ever 
in,"  if  we  let  you  get  up  in  the  throne?'  they 
cried  at  her. 

"'  I  will,'  promised  Brown  Betty  as  quick  as  a 
flash.  So  they  opened  their  ranks  ;  and  before 


BROWN    BETTY.  433 

she  could  think  twice,  there  she  was  up  in  the 
throne,  and  looking  down  into  their  faces.  But 
how  to  get  hold  of  the  sword,  she  didn't  know." 

"O  Polly,  do  let  her  get  that  sword!"  cried 
little  Dick  in  great  distress.  "  Please  show  her 
how.  Please  hurry,  Polly,  and  show  her  how 
quick." 

"  And  there  she  was,  looking  down  into  their 
faces,  and  she  knew  she  must  hurry  and  say  the 
words  she  had  promised,  and  then  get  down; 
and  she  was  at  her  wits'  end  to  know  what  to 
do." 

"  Please  hurry,  and  show  her  how  quick," 
begged  little  Dick,  his  knees  knocking  to- 
gether. 

" '  What  a  wonderful  top  to  that  throne ! '  cried 
Brown  Betty;  'I  must  see  that  first;'  and  as 
quickly  as  she  said  the  words,  up  she  ran  with 
all  speed  to  the  very  tip  of  the  throne  spread 
over  her  head.  The  wise  ant  who  had  told  her 
of  the  sword,  just  then  screamed  out,  '  Hold 
her  back ! '  but  it  was  too  late ;  Brown  Betty's 
little  bits  of  eyes  were  keen  and  sharp;  there 
was  the  sword,  hanging  before  her ;  and  in  a 
second  it  was  in  her  mouth,  and  she  was  waving 
it  over  the  hundred  ants. 


434      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

'"Stop  where  you  are!'  she  screamed  at 
them,  'or  I'll  cut  your  heads  off!'  and  not  a 
single  ant  moved." 

"  She  killed  them  all,  she  killed  them  !  "  piped 
Dicky  in  the  most  joyful  tone;  and  springing 
to  his  feet  he  danced  all  over  the  dressing-room, 
singing,  "  Brown  Betty  killed  them  all !  " 

"  Oh,  no,  she  didn't !  "  said  Polly,  as  soon  as 
she  could  make  herself  heard. 

"  She  didn't  kill  them  ! "  exclaimed  little  Dick, 
coming  to  a  dead  stop  in  amazement. 

"  Oh,  no  !  of  course  not,"  said  Polly  ;  "  Brown 
Betty  wouldn't  do  such  a  cruel  thing,  if  she 
could  get  away  and  help  the  other  brown  bug 
off  without  hurting  them.  She  just  slipped 
down  from  the  throne,  waving  her  sword  at 
them,  and  telling  them  she  would  cut  their 
heads  off  if  they  stirred  ;  but  they  couldn't,  you 
know  ;  then  she  slammed  the  door  of  the  Hall 
of  Justice  tight  to,  and  locked  them  all  in." 

"That  was  worse,"  said  Dicky,  coming  up 
quite  close  to  her. 

"  Oh  !  some  of  the  other  ants  would  come 
by  and  by,  to  look  for  them,"  said  Polly  com- 
fortingly, "and  let  them  out.  So  down  the 
long  corridor  she  ran  with  the  Captain's  sword 


BROWN    BETTY.  435 

in  her  mouth,  till  she  reached  the  cranny  where 
the  other  brown  bug  was  tied. 
'  "  '  Stop  crying  ! '  she  commanded  ;  and  with 
one  flash  of  the  sword,  she  snipped  the  chain 
everywhere  it  was  fastened.  '  Now  come  on  ; ' 
and  she  dragged  the  prisoner  out.  And  away 
they  went,  Brown  Betty  waving  the  sword  high  ; 
for  she  didn't  know  when  she  would  meet  any 
ants,  and  she  must  be  ready  to  keep  them  off. 

"  '  You've  been  here  longer  than  I,'  she  cried 
to  the  other  brown  bug ;  'don't  you  know  some 
way  out  ? ' 

" '  Let  me  stop  and  think,'  begged  the  other 
brown  bug ;  '  you  hurry  me  so  I  can't  think  of 
anything.'  So  Brown  Betty  pulled  her  into  a 
little  cubby-hole,  they  were  racing  by,  in  the 
corridor,  while  she  stood  on  guard,  still  waving 
the  Captain's  sword. 

" '  I  will  give  you  till  I  can  count  ten,'  she 
said.  '  One  —  two  —  three  —  four  —  five  —  six 
—  seven  —  eight '  "  — 

"  Oh,  dear  !  "  groaned  little  Dick. 

"  '  Nine  —  ten  '  — 

"  '  Straight  ahead  !  turn  to  your  right ! ' 
screamed  the  other  brown  bug;  and  out  into 
the  long  corridor  they  stepped  once  more,  and 


436      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

ran  like  lightning ;  and  then,  after  awhile, 
'  Turn  ! '  she  said  ;  '  I  heard  them  say  that  they 
had  built  a  secret  way ; '  and  there  was  a  little 
narrow  slit  of  a  way,  down  which  they  turned  ; 
and  they  turned,  and  they  turned,  till  finally  after 
they  had  got  through  turning,  all  of  a  sudden 
out  it  came  into  the  green  grass  ;  and,  don't  you 
think,  right  around  the  door,  only  they  didn't 
see  it,  it  was  so  covered  with  a  clump  of  leaves, 
were  six  little,  wee,  tiny  brown  bugs,  all  crying 
and  screaming  and  rubbing  their  eyes  for  their 
mammy,  and  there  she  was  right  in  their  midst." 

"  O  Polly  !  was  it  Brown  Betty's  home  she 
got  to  ? "  screamed  little  Dick,  throwing  his 
arms  around  her,  his  cheeks  aflame. 

"Yes,"  said  Polly,  "it  truly  was;  and  Brown 
Betty  would  never  have  found  it  at  all  if  she 
hadn't  gone  back  to  save  the  other  brown  bug." 

"And  what  did  she  do  with  the  Captain's 
sword  ? "  at  last  asked  Dicky,  coming  out  of  his 
entrancement. 

"I  don't  know,"  said  Polly;  "but  here  come 
the  boys,  Dicky." 


THE    SILLY    LITTLE    BROOK.  437 


XXV. 

THE    SILLY    LITTLE    BROOK. 

"  pLEASE,  Polly,"  entreated  Phronsie,  pull- 

-1     ing  Polly's  gown  gently. 

"  O  Pet !  there  isn't  time,"  said  Polly  hastily, 
"  to  tell  you  a  story  now.  Why,  Mamsie  will 
call  us  in  a  quarter  of  an  hour." 

"  Just  the  « Silly  Little  Brook,' "  pleaded 
Phronsie,  folding  her  hands. 

"Why,  you've  heard  that  fifty  thousand 
times,"  said  Polly;  "oh, — oh  !  don't  ask  for  that." 
She  gave  a  long  yawn,  and  flew  back  to  the 
table.  "  Where  is  that  pink  embroidery  silk 
Auntie  gave  me  ?  Now  I'll  try  'that  new  stitch." 

"  Here  'tis,"  said  Phronsie,  getting  down  on 
the  floor,  and  spying  it  where  it  had  trailed  off 
on  the  table-cloth  ;  and  she  quickly  brought  it 
up  in  her  hand. 

"Oh,  that's  good!"  exclaimed  Polly  in  great 
satisfaction,  with  one  eye  on  the  French  mantel 


438  STORIES    POLLY    PEPPER    TOLD. 

clock.  "  Now,  if  I  had  to  hunt  for  that  tiresome 
pink  silk,  the  whole  quarter  of  an  hour  would 
be  gone  ;  and  I  must  try  this  rosebud  to  show 
to  Auntie  Whitney."  She  seized  her  embroid- 
ery work,  huddling  up  silks  and  thimble,  and 
all,  and  ran  to  ensconce  herself  in  a  cosey  cor- 
ner of  the  library  sofa,  humming  softly  to  her- 
self the  last  piece  of  music  Monsieur  had  given 
to  her. 

"  I  might  have  a  piece  of  the  '  Silly  Little 
Brook,'  "  said  Phronsie,  standing  quite  still  by 
the  table. 

"What  is  it?"  cried  Polly,  coming  out  from 
the  trills  and  runs,  to  stare  at  her.  "  Oh,  that 
story  !  I  forgot  all  about  it,  Phronsie.  Yes,  in- 
deed, you  shall  have  it."  And  a  remorseful 
wave  made  her  cheek  rosy  red.  "  I'm  a  selfish 
little  pig,  Phronsie.  Come  over,  and  I'll  tell  it 
right  away." 

"You're  not  a  little  pig,"  said  Phronsie,  hur- 
rying over  to  the  sofa  to  tuck  herself  away  in  a 
blissful  frame  of  mind  close  to  Polly ;  "  and  I 
am  so  glad  you  are  going  to  tell  it,  and  please 
begin  right  off,  Polly,"  all  in  one  breath. 

"  Yes,  indeed,  I  will,"  said  Polly  with  a  sorry 
little  twinge  for  the  minutes  lost.  "  Well,  you 


THE    SILLY    LITTLE    BROOK.  439 

know  the  Silly  Little  Brook  was  not  our  Cherry 
Brook,"  she  began,  well  knowing  that  fact  must 
usher  in  the  story. 

"  It  was  not  our  Cherry  Brook,"  repeated 
Phronsie  distinctly,  and  smoothing  down  her 
white  apron,  "  because  our  Cherry  Brook  was  a 
nice  brook,  and  didn't  do  silly  things." 

"That's  so,"  assented  Polly,  wondering  if  she 
was  making  her  rosebud  pink  enough  ;  "  well, 
one  day,  quite  early  in  the  morning,  when  the 
sun  was  peeping  over  the  top  of  a  high 
mountain  "  — 

"Tell  how  he  peeped  over,  please,  Polly," 
begged  Phronsie,  who  dearly  loved  to  have  Polly 
act  out  her  stories. 

So  Polly  laid  down  her  rosebud,  thimble,  and 
all,  in  Phronsie's  lap,  and  got  up  and  told  it 
over  again,  to  Phronsie's  intense  satisfaction  ; 
then  she  hopped  back  to  her  embroidery  work. 

"And  at  the  same  time  the  Silly  Little 
Brook  awoke,  and  opened  its  eyes  to  the  sun 
and  the  world.  '  Oh  !  how  do  you  do  ? '  said  the 
Sun,  laughing  as  the  Silly  Little  Brook  blinked 
its  eyes  at  him. 

"  '  Who  are  you  ? '  asked  the  Silly  Little 
Brook  ;  '  I  never  saw  you  before.' 


440      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

"  '  Of  course  not/  said  the  Sun,  laughing  worse 
than  ever,  '  because  you  have  never  been 
awake  before.  Come,  now,  it  is  time  for  you  to 
get  to  work  ;  you've  been  a  long  time  asleep. 
Look  back  of  you.' 

"  The  Silly  Little  Brook  did  just  as  the  Sun 
told  her,  and  looked  back  of  her.  '  I  don't  see 
anything,'  she  said,  '  except  a  black  hole  in  the 
ground.' 

" '  Of  course  you  don't,'  said  the  Sun,  '  be- 
cause that's  all  there  is  to  see.  You've  just 
come  out  of  that  hole,  where  you've  been  asleep 
all  your  life.  Now  look  ahead  ! ' 
•  "The  Sun  said  this  so  loud,  and  stared  at  her 
face  so  long,  that  the  Silly  Little  Brook  began 
to  feel  quite  uncomfortable;  so  she  winked  and 
blinked  and  said  nothing. 

" '  Look  ahead,'  commanded  the  Sun  sharply. 
'Oh,  you  silly,  stupid,  little  thing  ! '  And  this 
time  she  obeyed  ;  and  there  was  a  tiny,  wee, 
little  stream  of  clear,  white  water  trickling  away 
like  a  thread  down  the  mountain." 

"  It  was  the  Silly  Little  Brook,"  cried  Phron- 
sie,  clapping  her  hands  in  glee,  just  as  if  she 
hadn't  heard  the  story  time  and  again. 

"Yes,"  said  Polly,  bobbing  her  head,  and  set- 


THE    SILLY    LITTLE    BROOK.  44! 

ting  in  quick  stitches,  "so  it  was.  'Now  hurry 
up ! '  said  the  Sun  ;  by  this  time  he  was  very 
fierce,  for  his  face  had  been  getting  rounder 
and  bigger  every  minute,  *  and  set  to  work,  for 
you  have  a  great  deal  to  do.  Be  a  useful  little 
brook,  and  don't  stop  on  your  way,  and  I  shall 
be  glad  that  you  woke  up.  Good-day ! '  And 
the  Silly  Little  Brook  felt  her  feet  give  way 
before  her,  and  in  a  minute  she  was  slipping 
and  sliding  down,  down,  the  mountain  side. 

"  '  I'm  not  going  to  be  sent  down  in  this  fash- 
ion,' she  grumbled  as  soon  as  she  could  catch 
her  breath,  while  she  rested  a  bit  in  a  hollow. 
'  I  shall  choose  my  way,  and  what  I'll  do  ;  and 
I'm  not  going  to  work  all  the  time  either,  and 
that  cross  old  Sun  needn't  think  he  can  com- 
mand me  to  do  it.  I'm  going  to  play  as  much 
as  I  want  to.'  With  that  she  rested  in  the 
hollow  all  that  day,  and  the  next,  and  the 
next." 

Phronsie  shook  her  yellow  head  mournfully, 
as  one  who  knows  a  sorrowful  tale  too  well. 

"The  first  day,"  said  Polly,  hurrying  on, 
"the  birds  came  to  see  the  Silly  Little  Brook; 
and  they  sang  sweet  songs  over  her  head,  and 
they  told  her  pretty  stories,  and  they  dipped 


442      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 


Phronsie  shook  her  yellow  head  mournfully, 


THE    SILLY    LITTLE    BROOK  443 

their  beaks  in  her  clear  little  pool  of  water  in 
the  hollow;  and  the  Silly  Little  Brook  said 
to  herself,  '  Oh,  what  a  lovely  time  this  is ! 
How  good  it  was  for  me  that  I  didn't  mind 
what  the  cross  old  Sun  said  to  me  when  he 
told  me  not  to  stop.  Forsooth  !  I  shall  stop 
here  as  long  as  I  want  to.'  " 

"  What  does  for  —  what  is  it,  Polly, ' — 
mean  ?  "  asked  Phronsie  who  always  asked  this 
question  at  this  particular  stage  of  the  story. 

"  Oh,  it  doesn't  mean  anything ! "  said  Polly 
carelessly. 

"  Then,  why  did  she  say  it  ?  "  persisted  Phron- 
sie. 

"  Oh,  because  it  sounded  nice  !  "  said  Polly, 
twitching  her  pink  silk  thread  out  to  replace  it 
with  a  green  one  to  begin  on  the  calyx  ;  "  people 
have  to  say  things  sometimes  that  don't  mean 
anything  —  in  a  story." 

"Do  they?"  said  Phronsie  with  wondering 
eyes. 

"  Well,  she  did  any  way,"  said  Polly  ;  "  so  she 
said  '  Forsooth  ! '  and  tossed  her  head,  and  im- 
mediately she  felt  very  big  and  grand.  And 
the  next  day  the  birds  came,  and  everything 
was  lovely,  and  the  Silly  Little  Brook  went 


444      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

to  sleep  at  night,  and  dreamed  of  all  sorts  of 
beautiful  things.  But  the  day  after,  she  looked 
up,  and  saw  to  her  astonishment  a  flock  of  birds, 
that  was  whirring  along  over  the  tip  of  the 
mountain-side,  pause  when  they  got  to  her,  and 
look  down  ;  then  they  whispered  together,  and 
presently  off  they  flew,  chattering,  'Oh,  no  — 
no ;  we'll  not  stop  there  !  ' 

"  What  to  make  of  it  the  Silly  Little  Brook 
did  not  know  ;  she  only  tossed  her  head,  and 
grew  angrier  and  angrier,  and  said  she  didn't 
care.  But  she  went  to  sleep  sobbing  as  hard 
as  she  could  that  night ;  and  her  pillow,  a 
clump  of  moss,  was  wet  with  tears." 

Phronsie  moved  uneasily,  but  said  not  a 
word. 

"  At  last,  as  morning  broke,  the  Silly  Little 
Brook  heard  a  voice  close  to  her  ear  say,  'O 
dear  Brook,  wake  up !  I  have  something  to  say 
to  you;'  and  there  was  Robin  Redbreast." 

"I  am  so  glad  he  has  come,  Polly,"  ejacu- 
lated Phronsie  in  relief. 

"The  Silly  Little  Brook  at  that  opened  her 
eyes.  '  What  is  it  ? '  she  asked  sadly. 

" '  Don't  you  know  why  the  birds  are  flying 
over  your  head,  to  seek  other  streams,  with- 


THE    SILLY    LITTLE    BROOK.  445 

out  so  much  as  giving  you  a  gentle  word, — 
and  no  one  remains  to  tell  you  the  truth  but 
me?'  asked  Robin. 

"  '  No,  I  don't ! '  said  the  Silly  Little  Brook  ; 
'tell  me,  Robin.' 

" '  Look  for  yourself,"  said  Robin  Redbreast. 

"  So  the  Silly  Little  Brook  turned  her  eyes 
to  look  at  herself  in  the  little  hollow  where 
she  had  rested,  and  lo  and  behold,  instead  of 
the  clear,  white  water  with  the  shade  just  like 
the  violets  in  our  woods  at  Badgertown,  you 
know,  Phronsie,"  and  Polly's  h-ands  with  their 
work  dropped  to  her  lap,  "  why  "  — 

"  Yes,  yes,  I  know,"  said  Phronsie  with  a 
small  sigh,  hearing  which,  Polly  picked  up  her 
work  again  and  hurried  on. 

"  Why,  there  was  a  dark,  dirty  pool  of  water 
with  a  little  green  scum  coming  all  over  the 
top  of  it. 

" '  Oh,  Horrors  ! '  screamed  the  Silly  Little 
Brook,  '  why,  where  have  I  gone  ?  That  isn't 
my  little  Brook.' 

" '  Yes  it  is,'  said  Robin,  shaking  his  head 
sadly;  'you're  turned  into  this  hateful  thing 
because  you  staid  still.  O  dear  Brook!  why 
didn't  you  obey  the  good  Sun,  and  go  on  ? ' 


446 


STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 


"'I  will  now,'  said  the  Silly  Little  Brook, 
bursting  into  a  torrent  of  tears  ;  and  she  tried 
to  start.  But  her  feet  were  all  tangled  up  in  a 


mess  of  leaves  and  green  things  that  weren't 
nice,  and  she  couldn't  stir  a  step." 

Phronsie    here    moved    uneasily    again,    but 
waited  for  Polly  to  go  on. 


THE    SILLY    LITTLE    BROOK.  447 

" '  I'll  help  you,'  said  Robin  Redbreast  quickly  ; 
and,  jumping  down,  he  picked  patiently  all  the 
sticks  and  leaves  he  could  in  his  bill,  and  carried 
them  out  of  the  way  of  the  Silly  Little  Brook 
when  she  should  once  more  start  to  run  down 
the  mountain-side." 

"He  was  a  nice  Robin  Redbreast,  Polly,  and 
I  like  him,"  Phronsie  exclaimed  joyfully. 

"So  he  was,  Pet,"  Polly  made  haste  to 
answer.  "Well,  but  as  fast  as  he  picked  off  the 
leaves  and  sticks  out  of  the  way  of  the  Silly 
Little  Brook,  ever  so  many  others  would  come 
blowing  down  on  her  from  the  trees,  and  choke 
up  the  path  again.  So  at  last  poor  Robin  Red- 
breast had  to  sit  down  quite  tired  out,  and  de- 
clare he  could  do  no  more." 

"Please  hurry  and  tell  it,  Polly,"  begged 
Phronsie,  pulling  her  sleeve,  for  Polly  dearly 
loved  to  stop  a  bit  in  the  most  impressive 
spots. 

"  Well,  and  then  the  Silly  Little  Brook  began 
to  sob  and  to  scream  louder  than  ever ;  and  the 
sticks  and  leaves  flew  around  her  thick  and 
fast,  for  it  was  a  very  windy  day ;  and  the  birds 
flew  over  her  head,  never  so  much  as  giving  her 
a  glance  ;  and  it  was  very  dreadful  indeed,"  said 


448      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

Polly,  holding  up  her  embroidery  at  arm's 
length  to  see  if  the  calyx  was  beginning  to  look 
exactly  as  if  the  rosebud  were  just  picked  from 
the  garden. 

"Please  hurry,"  begged  Phronsie,  pulling  her 
sleeve  again. 

"So  I  will,"  said  Polly;  "I  think  that  is  just 
as  near  right  as  I  can  get  it,  although  it  doesn't 
look  like  a  real  rose,"  she  sighed ;  "  but  you 
must  let  me  stop  once  in  a  while,  child,  for  the 
story  sounds  better." 

"But  I  want  the  Silly  Little  Brook  to  stop 
crying  and  get  out,"  said  Phronsie  in  gentle 
haste. 

"  Well,  so  I  will  let  her  out,  you'll  see,"  prom- 
ised Polly,  hurrying  on  to  set  in  more  green 
stitches,  determined,  since  she  couldn't  make 
it  like  a  real  rose  from  Grandpapa's  garden, 
she  would  have  it  as  good  a  one  as  possible. 

'"I  shall  die  here,'  mourned  the  Silly  Little 
Brook ;  and  the  wind  in  the  trees  sobbed  over 
her,  'She  will  die  there,'  until  Robin  Red- 
breast let  his  head  droop  on  his  pretty  red 
bosom." 

"  Please  hurry,  Polly,"  said  Phronsie  plead- 
ingly, and  there  were  tears  in  the  brown  eyes. 


THE    SILLY    LITTLE    BROOK.  449 

"But  suddenly  up  jumped  Robin,"  cried 
Polly,  casting  aside  her  embroidery  on  the  sofa  ; 
and  suiting  the  action  to  the  word,  she  sprang 
to  her  feet  and  waved  her  arms.  "And  he 
trilled  out  loud  and  clear,  while  he  flapped  his 
wings,  '  Stop  your  crying,  dear  Brook,  I  will  go 
and  bring  some  help  ; '  for  he  had  heard  what 
the  Silly  Little  Brook  had  not  been  able  to 
hear,  as  she  was  weeping  so  hard,  the  notes 
way  up  in  the  sky  of  some  little  birds  that  he 
knew." 

"  Polly  !  "  exclaimed  Phronsie,  in  great  excite-' 
ment,  and  slipping  from  the  sofa  to  plant  her- 
self in  front  of  Polly,  —  still  waving  her  arms, 
and  crying,  "  Stop  your  crying,  dear  Brook,  I  will 
go  and  bring  some  help,"  —  "I  love  that  Robin 
Redbreast,  I  do." 

"Well,  we  must  get  back  to  the  sofa,  and 
finish  this  story,  or  Mamsie'll  call  us  before 
we're  ready,"  laughed  Polly,  her  arms  tum- 
bling to  her  sides  ;  and  she  picked  up  Phronsie, 
and  in  a  minute  there  they  were  in  the  cosey 
corner  once  more. 

"  So  off  he  flew  post-haste,"  hurried  on 
Polly,  picking  up  her  needle  once  more  to  set 
quick  stitches  ;  "and  oh  !  as  soon  as  you  could 


450      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

think,  back  he  came,  and  a  whole  troop  of 
Robin  Redbreasts  who  were  on  a  journey 
together,  and  there  were  so  many  of  them  that 
they  picked  out  every  stick  and  leaf  before  the 
new  ones  had  a  chance  to  choke  up  the  way : 
and  pretty  soon,  '  Start  now  ! '  they  said  ;  and 
the  Silly  Little  Brook  put  out  her  feet,  and 
away  she  went  slipping  and  sliding  and  trick- 
ling and  running  like  a  mad  little  thing  down 
the  mountain-side." 

Phronsie  clapped  her  hands  and  shouted  in 
'glee. 

"'Don't  stop  again,'  screamed  every  one  of 
those  Robin  Redbreasts  after  her,  '  but  go  on 
—  and  on  —  and  on.'  " 

"Pol — ly  !  "  called  Mamsie  over  the  stairs  — 
and  "Phron — sie  !  it's  time  to  go  down  town  to 
buy  your  shoes." 


DOWN    IN    THE    ORCHARD.  451 


XXVI. 

DOWN    IN    THE    ORCHARD. 

"  TT  was  such  a  comfort  to  have  an  orchard," 
J-  said  Polly,  clasping  her  hands  in  delight 
at  the  remembrance.  "  You  can't  think ;  and 
we  used  to  have  such  fun  out  there  when  the 
work  was  done  up  "  — 

"  How  many  trees  were  there  ? "  asked  Percy, 
with  an  eye  for  details. 

"  Oh,  there  weren't  any  trees ! "  said  Polly 
quickly;  "there  was  just  one;  but  we  played 
there  were  ever  and  ever  so  many,  so  we  called 
it  an  Orchard." 

"  Oh,  dear  me ! "  exclaimed  Percy  and  Van 
together. 

"  It  was  an  apple-tree,"  said  Joel ;  "and  there 
weren't  any  apples  on  it  either,  only  we  used 
to  play  there  were." 

"  O  Joel !  "  exclaimed  Polly,  "  have  you  for- 
gotten ?  Don't  you  remember  one  year  that 
we  got  some  ? " 


452      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

"  Mean  old  things  !  "  declared  Joel  ;  "and  so 
hard,  they'd  almost  break  your  teeth." 

"  Well,  you  and  Dave  managed  to  eat  them," 
said  Ben,  laughing. 

"Because  we  couldn't  get  any  others,"  said 
Joel ;  "  and  they  were  only  about  a  dozen  of 
them,  I  guess." 

"  That  was  better  than  nothing,"  said  Polly. 
"  Well,  you  see  we  did  have  apples  on  the 
tree  sometimes,  so  we  could  call  it  an  orchard  ; 
and  when  we  had  our  work  done,  we  could 
go  out  there  and  play.  And  Phronsie  could 
always  take  Seraph ina  and  stay  there  ever  so 
long,  because  it  was  just  a  little  way  back  of 
the  kitchen-door ;  so  you  see  we  thought  a 
great  deal  indeed  of  our  Orchard." 

"  Tell  us  what  you  used  to  do  out  in  your 
Orchard  ?  "  begged  Van  abruptly  ;  "  every  single 
thing." 

"  Oh,  dear  me  !  "  said  Polly,  drawing  a  long 
breath  at  the  delightful  remembrances.  "  I 
can't  tell  you  all  the  things  we  used  to  do 
there,  any  more  than  I  can  about  all  the  good 
times  we  had  in  the  dear  old  kitchen." 

"  There's  no  use  in  asking  the  Peppers  to 
tell  all  the  good  times  they  had  in  The  Little 


DOWN    IN    THE    ORCHARD.  453 

Brown  House,"  declared  Jasper,  with  kindling 
eyes,  "because,  you  see,  they  just  can't  do  it. 
I  know,  because  I've  been  there." 

"Jappy  always  feels  so  smart  because  he's 
been  at  The  Little  Brown  House,"  exclaimed 
Van  enviously. 

"  Well,  why  shouldn't  I  ? "  retorted  Jasper 
gayly.  "  It's  something  to  feel  smart  over,  I 
can  tell  you,  to  go  to  The  Little  Brown  House." 

"  I  wish  we  could  ever  go  there,"  said  Percy 
wishfully. 

"Well,  if  you  want  to  hear  Polly  tell  of 
what  we  did  down  in  our  Orchard,  you  would 
better  stop  talking,  and  let  her  begin,"  advised 
Ben. 

"I  think  so  too,"  laughed  Jasper.  "I'm  as 
bad  as  the  rest ;  but  when  it  comes  to  talk- 
ing about  The  Little  Brown  House,  why,  I 
just  forget  and  pitch  in.  Now  do  go  on,  Polly  ; 
we  beg  your  pardon  ; "  and  he  shook  his  head 
at  the  other  boys. 

"  Yes,  we  do  beg  your  pardon,"  Percy  and 
Van  made  haste  to  say,  seeing  that  Jasper  had 
said  it  first. 

"All  right,"  said  Polly;  "then,  I'll  begin 
straight  off,  to  tell  you  of  one  nice  time  we 


454      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

had  down  in  our  Orchard.  You  see,  Mamsie 
was  off  at  the  minister's  house,  helping  to 
make  over  the  parlor  carpet,  and  we  really 
hadn't  any  work  to  do.  And,  for  a  wonder, 
Ben  was  home,  because  there  was  no  wood 
for  him  to  chop  anywhere  ;  and  it  was  a  long, 
hot  summer  afternoon.  First,  we  thought  we'd 
go  off  to  the  woods,  and  "  — 

"And  why  didn't  you?"  broke  in  Van,  with 
wide  eyes  for  the  indifference  to  the  charms 
of  the  woods. 

"  Hush  !"  said  Jasper,  holding  up  his  hand. 

Percy  was  just  going  to  say,  "  I  should 
think  you'd  have  gone  to  the  woods,  and  dug 
up  moss  and  flowers  and  cunning  little  roots." 
But  hearing  Jasper's  "  Hush  ! "  he  ducked  in- 
voluntarily, very  glad  he  hadn't  spoken. 

"  Oh  !  Phronsie  wasn't  very  well,"  said  Polly  ; 
"  that  is,  she  hadn't  been,  and  we  knew  Mam- 
sie wouldn't  want  her  to  walk  so  far.  And 
besides,  it  was  just  as  much  fun  to  play  in 
our  Orchard.  So  we  all  decided  to  go  there. 
Well,  off  we  started  "  — 

"Why,  I  thought  you  said  it  was  just  a  little 
way  back  of  the  kitchen-door,"  said  Percy  sur- 
prised out  of  himself. 


DOWN    IN    THE    ORCHARD.  455 

"  So  it  was,"  answered  Polly  ;  "  but  we  played 
it  was  ever  so  far  off ;  and  we  walked  around 
and  around  The  Little  Brown  House,  all  but 
Phronsie,  she  sat  on  the  back-steps  till  we 
were  ready  to  go  into  the  Orchard  ;  then  she 
got  down,  and  we  all  went  in  together,"  said 
Polly,  with  a  grand  flourish  as  if  escorting 
her  auditors  into  enchanted  space,  big  beyond 
description.  "  Well,  and  don't  you  think  there 
was  the  greatest  surprise  when  we  got  there ! " 

"  Oh,  tell  us  !  "  begged  all  the  Whitney  boys 
impatiently. 

"  Why,  Ben  had  run  off,  — after  we  had  talked 
over  whether  we  would  go  to  the  woods  or 
not,  and  we  didn't  think  we  ought  to,  for 
Mamsie  wouldn't  like  to  have  Phronsie  walk 
so  far,  —  and  he  had  brought  back  some  flowers 
and  some  moss,  and  ever  so  many  things." 

"That's  nice,"  said  Percy  in  a  satisfied  way. 

"And  there  they  were  on  the  little  stone 
table,"  said  Polly. 

"  Oh  !  did  you  have  a  stone  table  in  your 
Orchard  ?  "  asked  Van. 

"  Yes  ;  I've  seen  it  ever  so  many  times,"  said 
Jasper.  Then  he  pulled  himself  up  laughing, 
"  Beg  pardon,  Polly." 


456      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

"  Ho  !  ho  !  You're  talking,"  cried  Van  at 
him. 

"  Can't  help  it,"  said  Jasper  recklessly, 
"  when  you  begin  to  ask  about  the  good  times 
in  The  Little  Brown  House,  I  must  talk." 

"  You  see,"  said  Polly  to  the  Whitney  boys, 
"  we  had  to  have  a  table  for  our  tea-parties 
and  ever  so  many  other  things,  and  so  Ben 
chose  a  big  stone  in  a  field ;  it  was  Deacon 
Brown's  meadow,  and  he  "  • 

"  You  said  it  was  a  field,  Polly  Pepper,"  inter- 
rupted Percy  in  his  most  literal  way. 

"Well,  it  was  just  about  the  same  thing," 
said  Polly,  laughing. 

"  Never  mind  him,  Polly,"  said  Jasper ;  and 
"  You  never  will  get  this  story  if  you  keep  stop- 
ing  her  all  the  time,"  from  Ben.  So  Polly 
hurried  on.  "  And  Deacon  Brown  was  just  as 
glad  as  he  could  be,  of  course,  to  have  that 
big  stone  carried  off  from  his  meadow." 

"  Why  ?  "  asked  Van.  "  I  should  think  all  the 
Brown  children  would  have  wanted  it  to  play  on." 

"  Oh  !  there  are  such  oceans  of  stones  in 
Badgertown,"  cried  Polly,  lifting  her  hands. 

"O  Polly!"  exclaimed  Ben;  "oceans  of 
stones  ?" 


DOWN    IN    THE    ORCHARD.  457 

"Well,  I  mean  such  a  very,  very,  great 
many,"  said  Polly,  with  the  color  flooding  her 
face,  "  you  can't  think,  boys ;  and  they  bother 
the  farmers  dreadfully  when  they  want  to  cut 
their  grass  ;  the  poor  cows  have  such  hard  work 
to  get  their  noses  in  between  them  —  the  stones, 
I  mean  —  in  order  to  get  anything  to  eat." 

"  The  farmers  almost  have  to  whittle  off  the 
cows'  noses  for  them  to  get  a  bite,"  said  Ben. 

"  And  Joel  and  David  would  pick  rocks  for 
the  farmers  sometimes,"  said  Polly ;  "  but  that 
was  nice,  because  "  — 

"Mean  old  work,"  said  Joel,  stretching  him- 
self, "  picking  rocks.  Didn't  our  backs  ache, 
Dave  ? " 

Little  David  twisted  uneasily  in  his  chair, 
unwilling  to  say  how  very  unpleasant  he  had 
found  the  task  of  picking  rocks,  and  wishing 
that  the  question  had  not  been  asked. 

"Well,"  said  Polly  brightly,  "it  was  nice 
when  the  boys  brought  home  the  fresh  vege- 
tables that  the  farmers  would  give  them  for 
picking  those  rocks.  You  ought  to  have  seen 
Mamsie's  face  then  ! " 

Joel  straightened  up  at  that,  and  forgot  all 
about  his  aching  back,  and  little  David  was 


45§  STORIES    POLLY    PEPPER    TOLD. 

very  glad  he  hadn't  been  obliged  to  say  any- 
thing. "  So  now  you  see,"  ran  on  Polly,  "  how 
very  glad  Deacon  Brown  was  to  give  Ben  the 
big  stone  for  our  orchard  table ;  so  Ben  tugged 
and  tugged  and  " 

"  And  we  helped  ;  Dave  and  I  did,"  shouted 
Joel.  "  Didn't  we,  Ben  ?  " 

"Yes,  indeed,"  said  Ben  heartily,  "you  did, 
both  of  you.  I  don't  believe  I  could  ever  have 
brought  the  great  thing  down  to  the  orchard 
without  you."  Thereupon  Joel  felt  very  big 
and  tall,  and  little  David  sat  up  as  high  in  his 
chair  as  possible. 

"  Oh,  it  was  a  perfectly  splendid  table  ! "  ex- 
cliamed  Polly  ;  "you  can't  think  how  fine  it  was 
when  it  was  all  set  up  under  our  apple-tree.  It 
was  most  flat  on  top ;  and  it  was  as  high  as  this, 
and  as  big  as  this  ; "  and  she  put  out  her  hands, 
and  began  to  measure  it  all  off  briskly. 

"Ho,  —  that  isn't  near  big  enough!"  cried 
Joel,  springing  to  her  side  ;  "  'twas  as  big  as 
this ; "  and  he  executed  the  most  remarkable 
series  of  curves,  spreading  his  arms  to  the  infi- 
nite discomfort  of  every  one  in  his  neighbor- 
hood. 

"See  here!"  called  Ben  at  him,  amidst  the 


DOWN    IN    THE    ORCHARD.  459 

general  laugh  at  Joel's  table,  "if  you  go  on 
knocking  off  all  our  heads  in  this  fashion,  we'll 
put  you  out  this  second,  —  yes,  sir!  The  idea 
of  such  a  stone  as  that.  Why,  it  would  have 


big  as  this!1 


taken  a  pair  of  horses  and  a  cart  to  bring  it, 
let  alone  our  digging  it  up.     O  Joe !  " 

"  I  don't  care,"  said  Joel  sturdily  ;  "  it  was  as 
big  as  that,  anyway,"  bringing  his  arms  in  with 
a  sudden  swoop. 


460      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

"  Well,  now,  Joe,"  said  Jasper,  "  if  you  don't 
keep  quiet,  we  sha'n't  get  any  further  in  this 
story  than  that  table  ; "  which  had  the  effect 
of  sending  Joel  into  his  seat  as  quickly  as  he 
had  jumped  off.  And  Polly  began  again  before 
he  had  a  chance  to  speak.  "  And  there  on  the 
top  of  the  table  was  a  big  bunch  of  flowers ; 
we  had  a  tea-cup  that  Mamsie  had  given  us,  be- 
cause it  was  cracked  and  the  handle  was  gone, 
and  Ben  had  put  some  of  the  flowers  he  brought 
from  the  woods  into  it ;  but  the  rest  he  made 
up  into  little  bunches,  and  laid  one  on  every 
little  stone  seat ;  for  I  forgot  to  tell  you,  the 
boys  had  brought  five  little  stones,  one  for  each 
of  us,  so  we  could  always  have  our  chairs  ready 
for  us,  you  know." 

"Oh,  dear  me!"  sighed  little  Dick,  quite 
overcome  with  longing ;  "  how  I  do  wish  we 
could  have  little  stone  seats!  " 

"  And  a  stone  table,"  added  Van  enviously. 

"  And  a  whole  Orchard,"  finished  Percy, 
"just  like  the  Peppers." 

Meantime  Polly  was  hurrying  on.  "Well, 
when  we  saw  all  those  lovely  things  that  Ben 
had  clone,  —  Phronsie  spied  them  first,  —  we 
just  danced  around  him,  and  we  held  our  hands 


DOWN    IN    THE    ORCHARD.  461 

together  tight,  so  he  couldn't  get  out  of  the 
ring,  and  we  all  courtesied  and  bowed,  and 
thanked  him  as  much  as  we  could." 

"  I  should  think  you  did,"  said  Ben,  laughing. 

"Then  we  made  him  take  the  best  seat  in 
honor  of  it  all,"  went  on  Polly. 

"  And  Polly  made  a  speech  of  thanks,"  said 
Joel ;  "  it  was  prime.  And  Ben  said  '  Much 
obliged  for  the  speech.'  " 

"And  then  we  set  about  giving  our  play," 
said  Polly  quickly. 

"  Our  what  ?  "  asked  the  Whitneys. 

"Why,  our  play,"  said  Polly;  "didn't  you 
know  that  was  what  we  were  going  to  do  that 
hot  afternoon,  when  we  decided  to  go  out  in  the 
Orchard  ?  Well,  I  must  tell  you  ;  we  were  going 
to  act  a  little  play." 

"Oh, — oh,  —  how  fine!"  exclaimed  Percy 
and  Van,  while  Ben  cried,  "It  was  Polly's  play ; 
she  thought  it  all  out." 

"Well,  they  helped  to  act  it,"  said  Polly; 
"and  that  was  best  "  — 

"Do  go  on,"  begged  the  Whitney  boys  ;  and 
this  time  Jasper  said,  too,  "  Do  go  on,  Polly." 

"  Well,  the  play  was  '  The  Little  White  Rab- 
bit and  Mister  Fox.'  " 


462      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

"Oh!  oh!"  exclaimed  the  Whitneys,  while 
Jasper  smiled  approval.  "Yes,  Phronsie  was 
to  be  the  White  Rabbit,  you  see  ;  we'd  got  an 
old  white  bedspread  Mamsie  let  us  take  for 
our  plays  ;  and  we  tied  up  two  ends,  so  they 
stuck  up  high,  and  those  made  the  ears  ;  and 
when  she  was  in  it,  and  the  paws  all  puckered 
up,  she  looked  very  nice,  and"- 

"  And  I  was  the  White  Rabbit,  Jasper," 
said  Phronsie  gravely,  turning  to  him. 

"  I  know,  Pet,"  he  said,  smiling  at  her ;  "  so 
you  were,  to  be  sure,"  as  Polly  hurried  on. 

"Well,  Ben  was  Mister  Fox,  and  he  did  look 
so  funny,"  cried  Polly,  bursting  into  a  laugh, 
in  which  Joel  and  David  joined  in  the  remem- 
brance. "You  see,  he  had  a  big  piece  of  an 
old  fur  rug  that  the  minister's  wife  gave  him 
one  day,  to  carry  away,  because  the  moths  had 
got  into  it,  and  she  didn't  want  it  any  longer. 
And  it  made  just  a  splendid  bear,  or  a  wolf, 
or  a  lion,  only  this  time  it  was  a  fox "  - 

"  Oh,  that  old  fur  rug  was  fine !  "  exploded 
Joel  with  sparkling  eyes,  breaking  in.  "And 
one  time  we  "  —  but  Ben  pulling  him  down, 
Polly  was  allowed  to  go  on. 

"  Well,    the    first    thing    in    the    play,"    said 


DOWN    IN    THE    ORCHARD.  463 

Polly  briskly,  "  the  Little  White  Rabbit  is  fast 
asleep  under  the  tree,  and  old  Mister  Fox 
comes  stealing  up  behind  her,  and  says  very 
softly,  « My  dear  Miss  Rabbit ; '  and  she  opens 
her  eyes  and  wakes  up. 

" '  Oh  ! '  she  says,  '  is  that  you,  Mister 
Fox?'  and  he  says,  'Yes  ;  and  won't  you  come 
home  with  me  and  see  my  little  teenty  wee 
foxes  ?  '•" 

"  Oh  !  were  there  little  foxes,  Polly  Pepper  ? " 
cried  the  Whitney  boys  delightedly. 

"  Yes,  indeed,  there  were,"  said  Polly  quickly ; 
"  there  were  two  little  foxes  in  a  hole  a  little 
way  off ;  they  were  Joel  and  David,  you  know  ; 
they  were  spectators  with  me  while  Little 
White  Rabbit  was  asleep,  and  Mister  Fox  was 
waking  her  up.  Then  when  he  invited  her 
to  go  and  see  his  little  foxes,  why,  the  boys 
scampered  off  and  got  into  their  hole." 

"  Where  was  the  hole,  Polly  ? "  asked  Percy. 

"  Oh !  we  had  scooped  a  place  under  the  bank 
where  the  grass  grew  high,"  said  Polly,  "and 
it  made  a  splendid  cave  whenever  we  wanted 
wild  beasts.  Only  to-day  it  was  the  house  of 
the  teenty  wee  little  foxes.  Well,  so  then, 
Little  White  Rabbit  said  she  would  go  with 


464 


STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 


Mister  Fox  and    see  his    little  foxes ;   and   he 
gave  her  his  hand  and  off  he  led  her." 

"O  Polly!  the  Little  White  Rabbit  didn't 
really  go  with  Mister  Fox,  did  she  ? "  exclaimed 
little  Dick  in  horror. 


The  little  white  rabbit  and   mister  fox. 

"  Oh,  yes  she  did,  Dicky  !  "  said  Polly.  Then 
seeing  his  face,  she  made  haste  to  add,  "  But  it 
was  Ben,  you  know,  so  she  wasn't  afraid." 

"  Oh  !  yes,  it  was  Ben,"  repeated  little  Dick, 
hugging  himself  in  relief. 

"  Well,    and    so    off    they   went  to  the  hole 


DOWN    IN    THE    ORCHARD.  465 

where  the  teenty  wee  little  foxes  were,"  said 
Polly ;  "  and  the  Little  White  Rabbit  put  her 
paw  in  Mister  Fox's  paw ;  and  when  they  got 
there,  Mister  Fox  says,  'Now  just  step  down 
into  my  hole  where  the  teenty  wee  little  foxes 
are,  because  you  can  see  them  so  very  much 
better.' " 

"  And  did  she,  Polly  ?  did  she  ? "  interrupted 
little  Dick  anxiously. 

"Yes,"  said  Polly;  "but  the  teenty  little 
wee  foxes  were  Joel  and  David,  you  know ;  so 
they  couldn't  hurt  the  Little  White  Rabbit." 

"  Oh,  yes !  they  were  Joel  and  David,"  said 
little  Dick,  drawing  a  relieved  sigh. 

"Well,  when  Phronsie  —  I  mean  the  Little 
White  Rabbit  —  had  stepped  down  into  the  hole, 
up  jumps  the  two  teenty  little  foxes,  and  they 
ran  ;  and  they  ran  past  her,  and  past  Mister  Fox 
as  quickly  as  they  could,  so  as  to  be  audience, 
you  know,  because  I  was  the  man  with  the  big 
gun  to  go  out  and  shoot  Mister  Fox,  and  it  was 
time  for  him  to  do  it ;  so  Joel  and  David,  I  mean 
the  two  teenty  little  wee  foxes,  sat  down  on 
their  stone  seats,  and  the  man  with  the  big  gun 
picked  it  up  and  he  ran,  and  he  ran  to  the  hole ; 
and  just  as  Mister  Fox  was  going  to  eat  up  the 


466      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

Little  White  Rabbit,  he  put  his  gun  up  to  his 
shoulder,  and  Bang  !  it  went,  and  over  tumbled 
Mister  Fox,  and  Little  White  Rabbit  was  safe !  " 

It  was  impossible  to  describe  the  excitement 
that  now  possessed  the  entire  group,  and  it 
was  some  minutes  before  anybody  could  be 
heard.  Then  Joel  cried,  "  Polly,  tell  the  rest  — 
tell  the  rest!" 

"  Oh,  yes  ! "  cried  Polly  with  shining  eyes, 
"  the  best  was  what  came  after.  What  do  you 
think  we  found  when  we  all  raced  back— you 
know  I  had  hold  of  the  Little  White  Rabbit's 
paw,  and  Mister  Fox  was  scampering  after?" 

"Why,  I  thought,  you  said  when  the  man's 
big  gun  went  Bang !  Mister  Fox  tumbled  over 
dead,"  cried  Percy. 

"  Oh,  yes  !  so  he  did,"  said  Polly  coolly  ;  "but 
he  had  to  jump  up,  you  know,  and  come  and  be 
audience,  because  then  the  little  foxes  were  go- 
ing to  try  to  get  the  Little  White  Rabbit ;  and 
you  see  he  had  to  take  their  place  and  look  on, 
or  there  wouldn't  be  any  spectators." 

"  Oh  !  "  said  the  Whitney  boys. 

"  Yes  ;  well,  we  were  all  three  running  along, 
Mister  Fox  just  behind,  when  Joel  and  David, 
I  mean  the  little  teenty  wee  foxes,  came  racing 


DOWN    IN    THE    ORCHARD.  467 

over  the  grass.  '  O  Polly  Pepper !  '  they 
screamed;  'Come  —  come!'  and  then  they 
turned  and  flew  back.  I  can  tell  you  we 
all  ran  then  !  " 

"What  was  it?  oh,  what  was  it?"  screamed 
Percy  and  Van  and  Little  Dick  together. 

"Why,  there  on  the  stone  lay  —  what  do 
you  think?  —  a  big  orange,  and  a  bag  of  pea- 
nuts !  " 

"Oh,  dear  me  !  "  cried  all  the  Whitney  boys, 
tumbling  backward  in  dreadful  disappointment. 
"  Is  that  all  ? "  gasped  Percy. 

"  All  ?  "  repeated  Polly.  "  Why,  you  can't 
think  how  perfectly  splendid  it  was  to  see  that 
big  orange,  as  yellow  as  gold,  and  that  magnifi- 
cent bag  of  peanuts,  standing  there  on  that 
stone  table.  Why  it  seemed  as  if  they  must 
have  dropped  right  down  from  the  little  puffy 
white  clouds  sailing  above  our  heads,  for  we 
couldn't  imagine  where  they  came  from.  And 
we  never  thought  of  finishing  up  our  play ;  but 
the  Little  White  Rabbit  hopped  out  of  her 
white  skin,  and  Mister  Fox  tumbled  out  of  his 
old  fur  rug ;  and  it  took  us  all  the  rest  of  the 
afternoon  to  cut  and  divide  that  splendid,  big, 
yellow  orange,  and  to  count  out  those  magnifi- 


468      STORIES  POLLY  PEPPER  TOLD. 

cent  peanuts,  and  to  give  them  all  around,  ex- 
cept the  time  it  took  to  eat  them." 

"  That  was  best !  "  exclaimed  Joel,  smacking 
his  lips. 

"  And  we  saved  some  for  Mamsie,"  said  little 
Davie  ;  "  didn't  we,  Polly  ? " 

"  Why,  of  course,"  said  Polly;  "we  all  saved 
the  best  for  her." 

"  And  Polly  kept  saying  '  I  do  wish  we  knew 
where  they  came  from,'  every  minute  or  so," 
said  Ben. 

"  But  we  didn't  tell,  did  we,  Dave  ?  "  said 
Joel,  chuckling  at  the  remembrance. 

"No,"  said  little  David;  "but  I  wanted  to, 
when  Polly  kept  trying  to  find  out." 

"And  did  you  know  ?"  cried  Van,  turning  on 
him. 

"  Of  course  we  did,"  said  Joel,  puffing  with 
importance  ;  "  we  knew  every  single  bit  of  it  all, 
because  we  were  sitting  on  our  stone  chairs, 
and  we  saw  it  all.  Only  Polly  thought  be- 
cause we  didn't  tell,  that  they'd  been  put  there 
before  — while  we  were  all  at  Mister  Fox's 
hole.  But  we  could  keep  a  secret,  couldn't  we, 
Dave  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  little  Davie  slowly. 


DOWN    IN    THE    ORCHARD.  469 

"  It  never  entered  our  heads  that  you  could 
keep  still  if  you  knew  it,  Joe,"  said  Ben. 

"Well,  who  did  put  them  there?"  demanded 
Van,  bursting  with  impatience. 

"  Why,  our  good,  dearest,  and  loveliest  Dr. 
Fisher,"  said  Polly  with  glowing  cheeks;  "  Papa 
Fisher  —  only  he  wasn't  Papa  Fisher,  then;  he 
was  just  Dr.  Fisher.  Why,  here  he  comes 
now  !  " 


Ube  jfamous  pepper  Boohs 

By  MARGARET  SIDNEY. 


"  When  a  '  Pepper  book  '  comes  out,  it  is  an  event  in  the  young  folks' 
world."—  The  Interior,  Chicago. 

No  series  of  books  for  children  since  the  publication  of 
"  Little  Women,"  has  been  so  successful,  or  so  caught  the 
youthful  taste,  and  touched  the  parental  heart.  The  set 
includes :  * 

Five  Little  Peppers  and  How  They  Grew.    i2mo,  illus- 
trated, $1.50.     Special  edition  in  boards,  25  cents. 
"  A  genuine  child  classic." 

Five  Little  Peppers  Midway.     i2mo,  illustrated,  $1.50. 

"  Every  page  is  full  of  sunshine."  —  Detroit  Free  Press. 

Five  Little  Peppers  Grown  Up.     i2mo,  fully  illustrated, 

cloth,  5i-5O. 

"The  tale  sparkles  with  life  and  animation.  The  young  people  are 
bright  and  jolly,  and  enjoy  their  lives  as  everybody  ought  to  do.  —  Woman's 
Journal. 

Phronsie  Pepper.  The  Youngest  of  the  Five  Little  Peppers. 

Illustrated  by  Jessie  McDermott.     i2mo,  cloth,  $1.50. 

"  Quite  equal  in  delightful  entertainment  to  the  books  that  preceded  it." 
—  Review  of  Reviews. 

The  Stories  Polly  Pepper  Told.  One  vol.,  i2mo.  Illus- 
trated by  Jessie  McDermott  and  Etheldred  B.  Barry.  $1.50. 
A  charming  "  Addenda  "  to  the  famous  "  Five  Little  Pepper  "  stories. 

A  unique   plan  of  introducing  old  friends  anew.     Will  be  welcomed  by 

thousands  of  children. 

BY  THE  SAME  AUTHOR  (Fifth  Edition  now  ready). 
A  Little  Maid  of  Concord  Town.   1 2mo,  cloth.    Illustrated 
by  F.  T.  Merrill.     $1.50. 

A  splendid  story  of  a  bright  young  Concord  girl  in  the  early  days  of  the 
Revolution. 

Complete  list  of  Margaret  Sidney's  books  sent  on  application. 
For  sale  by  all  booksellers. 

LOTHROP  PUBLISHING  COMPANY,  BOSTON. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 

Los  Angeles 
This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


366 


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it  APR    51986 


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FEB  05  1987 


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AUG  1  6  1988 


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Form  L9-100m-9,'52(A3105)444 


THE  LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
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